§ *MR. J. KEIR HARDIE (West Ham, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, under what section of the Poor Law Acts the officials of the Local Government Board based their refusal of the application recently made by the Clerk to the Portsea Union Guardians for leave to vote £500 from the rates to the Mayor's Fund for the relief of distress in Portsmouth?
§ MR. SHAW-LEFEVREThe powers of Boards of Guardians in regard to their expenditure are defined by statute; and I was advised that there is no statutory enactment which authorises such an expenditure as was proposed by the Portsmouth Guardians, and that consequently it would be illegal.
§ *MR. KEIR HARDIEMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that under the Act 15 Vic., c. 105, Section 4, it is provided that the Poor Law Guardians may pay out of the common fund any sum of money, as an annual subscription towards the support and maintenance of any institution, which appears to the, Guardians to be calculated 1102 to render useful aid in their administration of relief to the poor, and whether the Mayor's Fund would not be covered by this section of the Act?
§ MR. SHAW-LEFEVREI have not in my mind the clause referred to; but in the opinion of the Local Government Board, a Board of Guardians would not be justified in handing over money raised by rate to be distributed by another body in on way responsible to the Guardians?
§ *MR. KEIR HARDIEMay I ask whether, in view of the present exceptional circumstances, the Local Government Board would be prepared to look with a lenient eye on an application of this kind?
§ MR. SHAW-LEFEVREI am simply bound by the law, and I cannot authorise a payment outside the limits allowed by law.