§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether those parts of the Giant's Causeway or its approaches which are below high water mark are vested in the Crown; whether he will order an engineer or other official of the Department to visit the Causeway in order to see whether it would be possible, by the erection of an iron footbridge or 1111 otherwise, to secure a public passage over the foreshore; and, whether he will undertake that, if the syndicate who are attempting to prevent the public from visiting the Causeway place any railings or other barrier on land vested in the Crown, legal proceedings will forthwith be taken?
§ MR. RITCHIEI am advised that the foreshore and bed of the sea adjoining the Giant's Causeway and its approaches are prima facie the property of the Crown. I shall be prepared to consider any applications which may be made for permission to erect any footbridge or other works over the lands vested in the Crown, having due regard to the rights of adjoining owners; but the Board of Trade have no funds to enable them to undertake such works themselves. No barrier will be allowed to be placed on Crown lands, and I will instruct the local officers to report to me any encroachments of this nature.
§ MR. D. MACALEESE (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether he has seen set forth in the Dublin and Belfast newspapers a list of the names purporting to be those of the syndicate formed to run the Giant's Causeway as a show; and, whether he has been consulted by Mr. Leckie, on that gentleman's own behalf, or on behalf of the syndicate, regarding public rights in the Giant's Causeway?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.I have not seen the list referred to, and, save so far as the hon. Member's Questions have directed my attention to the subject, I know nothing whatever of the composition or objects of the syndicate referred to. I should have hoped that it would have been unnecessary for me to inform the hon. Member that I have not been consulted by, nor have I given advice to, any individual or company on the subject.