§ MR. D. MACALEESE (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the irregularities in the administration of the affairs of the Bangor, County Down, Town Commissioners, and of the urban sanitary authority of the district, which were brought under the notice of Colonel Studdert, Local Government Board Auditor, during his last, audit of the Bangor township accounts, and reported by him to the Local Government Board for Ireland, a copy of which report was transmitted to the Bangor Town Commissioners; whether further irregularities have been brought under the notice of the Local Government Board involving failure to account for township moneys, mutilation of documents, and other equally grave allegations; and will the Government cause to be held a local sworn inquiry to investigate the matters complained of?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURRepresentations have been made relative to alleged irregularities in the accounts of the Bangor Town Commissioners, and the auditor states that, so far as he is aware, no erroneous entries were made in the accounts cither with the intent to defraud or to render fraud difficult of detection, nor has there been any actual fraud. The next audit of the accounts is fixed for the 24th instant, when it will be open to any ratepayer who objects to any expenditure in the municipal accounts to attend before the auditor and bring the matter under his notice. Until this audit shall have taken place no further action is called for on the part of the Local Government Board.