§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under what statute or legal authority are charges for official forms levied upon contractors by the Grand Jury of County Wicklow?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI am informed by the Secretary to the Grand Jury that the fee of 6d. charged for tender forms in his office is in accordance with Section 22 of the Grand Jury Act of 1836. The Secretary also states that it forms no part of his duty to fill any form, except the Bond, for which a charge of 1s. is 16 fixed by Section 24 of the Act, and that, in order to meet the convenience of contractors, or other applicants, who may desire the Secretary to fill the forms for them, the Grand Jury have fixed the charge for such additional work at 6d. In cases where the forms are filled in distant towns in the county a further charge of 6d. is made to contractors who may employ the Secretary, or his Clerk, in order to defray the car hire or other cost of locomotion. The employment of the Secretary in filling these forms is purely optional on the part of contractors.
§ MR. J. O'CONNORWill the power to make these charges, or such of them as are legal, be continued under the Irish Local Government Bill?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI presume that the Local Government Bill will permit any charges that are legal to be continued.