§ MR. C. J. ENGLEDOW (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has yet ascertained in how many baronies arrears had been erroneously represented by the County Carlow Grand Jury, as stated by the Local Government Auditor in his last report, and if any of those erroneous arrears had been illegally collected; and, if so, what action the Government Auditor intended taking with regard to the amount illegally collected?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralThe Local Government Auditor states that errors in representing arrears were made in four baronies, and that these errors can be rectified by the Grand Jury ordering the sums so raised to be placed to the credit of the baronies concerned. The Auditor will suggest the advisability of treating the matter in this way, though, as I have already explained, he has no power to compel the Grand Jury to carry out his suggestions. With one exception, the errors were for very small sums.
§ MR. ENGLEDOWMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the amount will be returned to the people from whom it was taken?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo, Sir, I do not think this would be possible this year. If anybody has been charged too much, they will probably be relieved in a subsequent year.
§ MR. ENGLEDOWWould it not be only fair——
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, Order!