§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for South Donegal (Mr. J. SWIFT MACNEILL), I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether it has been brought under his notice that the Bundoran Loan Fund case, decided some short time ago by County Court Judge Webb against the Loan Fund Society, was reheard on appeal by the Right Honourable Justice Madden at Lifford Assizes for county Donegal a few 1256 days ago; and that Mr. Justice Madden varied the decision of Judge Webb by dismissing the case on the merits, and refused to state a case on the application of counsel for the society; (2) what compensation it is proposed to make M'Geever and Gallagher, who were the defendants in actions at Petty Sessions, Quarter Sessions, and Assizes, brought by the Bundoran Loan Fund Trustees; (3) what remedy does he propose to apply to the proceedings of the Loan Fund Offices; and (4) whether he has considered the advisability of granting a full and searching Inquiry into the working of the Loan Fund system?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURMy attention has been directed to a report of the proceedings referred to in the first paragraph. I am not aware that the defendants in these proceedings, who were in the position of ordinary litigants, have any claim to compensation. They have certainly no such claim on the Crown. I hope to be able to make a statement shortly respecting the matter alluded to in the last two paragraphs.