§ MR. R. M. DANE (Fermanagh, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the recent trial in the Exchequer Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland of the action of the Commissioners of Public Works v. Mr. John Grey Vesey Porter, for the recovery of drainage charges under an award made and enrolled in connection with the Erne Lough and River Drainages Acts; whether he has observed that it was proved that a sum of £106,000 over and above the approved estimates has been advanced by the said Commissioners, and now forms, in addition to the amount of the original estimate, a charge upon and payable out of the lands within the drainage area; whether the outlay of the said sum of £106,000 in excess of the original estimate was due to the carrying out of certain navigation works insisted upon by the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury; and whether, having regard to the great hardship caused by so heavy an impost, and in compliance with the unanimous desire of the persons affected, the Government will cause an inquiry to be held locally, independent of the Commissioners of Public Works, to investigate the facts, with the view to a grant in aid being made by the Treasury?
§ *SIR J. T. HIBBERTI have not seen the Reports of the trial to which my hon. Friend refers, but he will find full particulars of the Lough Erne Drainage Scheme in the Return presented to 1480 Parliament on August 5th, 1891, House of Commons Paper 414. Nothing has since occurred to make me differ from the opinion of my predecessors that it is not necessary to hold a local investigation.