§ MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to a petition for the remission of a sum of £87 18s. demanded of the Listowel Board of Guardians as one month's interest on an overdue instalment of a seed loan at the rate of 60 710 per cent. per annum; whether, if the instalment due on the 1st August were paid on or before the 31st August no interest would be demanded, and whether the Guardians sent payment in full on 1st October, but the cheque was returned and £87 18s. additional demanded; and, in view of the fact that the Lord Lieutenant has power under Section 7 of the Seed Act to extend the time of repayment, if he will advise the Treasury not to press for this additional sum?
§ MR. JOHN DILLON (Mayo, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether it is a fact that the Treasury demanded interest at the rate of 60 per cent. per annum from the Listowel Board of Guardians on a balance of an instalment under the Seed Loan Act of 1895, although the amount in question was tendered in full by the guardians one month after it became overdue; and, if so, whether he will use his influence with the Treasury to withdraw this demand?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralIt appears that the Listowel Board of Guardians obtained an advance of £3,517 14s. 9d. under the Seed Potatoes Supply Act of 1895, and that the first instalment amounting to £1,758 17s. 4d. became due on the 1st August, 1896. A Receivable Order for the lodgment of the latter sum was forwarded by the Board of Works to the Guardians on the 31st July, and their attention was called on the face of the document to the liability to poundage if the instalments were not paid within 31 days from that date. Poundage charge is in the nature of a penalty, and is not to be confused with interest. The Treasury have, I understand, fully considered the question raised in this and similar oases, and I see no advantage to be gained in asking them to reopen it.
§ MR. FLYNNsaid the right hon. Gentleman admitted that there was only a month's delay. How could there be any question of impounding when there was no receiver appointed?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURbelieved that what was done was strictly in accordance with the law.
§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the great distress prevalent in the Union of Listowel, county Kerry, owing to the partial failure of the potato crop, and the almost total failure of the oat crop; and, whether the Government will consider the necessity of instituting relief works in the Union, and supplying the people with seed oats for the present year?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOUROn the 8th inst. I informed the hon. Member for West Limerick that careful inquiries had been made as to the condition of the poorer classes in the Listowel Union, but that the result of these inquiries did not point to the conclusion that it would become necessary to supplement the re-sources of the Poor Law by the opening of relief works. I see no reason to alter the opinion so recently expressed by me regarding the opening of such works. With regard, however, to the question of the supply of seed oats to the small occupiers in this Union, I believe it is a fact that the oat crop of last season in the Union was a bad one, but except in one or two instances Boards of Guardians have not signified a desire for legislation enabling them to be provided with a supply of fresh seed by means of loans. Should such a desire be generally expressed, I should be prepared to consider the matter; but I may observe the time is now running short.