§ MR. VESEY KNOXI beg to ask the Attorney General whether his attention has been called to the Report of the Finance Committee of the Londonderry Corporation in relation to the action of the Crown in taking legal proceedings to recover sums alleged to be due for extra police; and whether, considering the circumstances disclosed in this Report, the Crown will persist in these proceedings?
§ MR. ATKINSONMy attention has been called to the Report mentioned. It contains nothing, in my opinion, to justify the corporation in refusing to pay the two years' arrears of the charges due for extra police up to the 30th September, 1897. The free force for the city of Londonderry was increased from 30 to 47 men in 1885, and to 62 men in 1888, whilst the extra force was reduced in the former year from 45 to 28 men, and has not since been increased. It is in respect of these 28 men that the debt sued for was incurred.