§ MR. THOMAS B. CURRAN (Sligo, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether special provision was made in the contract with the Lough Swilly Railway Company for the advance of a sum not exceeding £40,000, for the purchase of land and other preliminary purposes in connection with the Carndonagh Railway Company; and whether, having regard to the fact that tenders cannot be received for more than a month, the Board of Works will avail themselves of those powers, so as to prevent any delay occurring in the purchase of land after a satisfactory tender has been received?
§ MR. HANBURYThere is a provision in the agreement with the Lough Swilly Railway Company which authorises the Treasury to make advances to the company not exceeding £40,000, to meet certain preliminary expenses of the undertaking, including the purchase of land, before the company are required to issue their guaranteed share capital; but the object of that provision is merely to prescribe the order in which the respective funds shall be applied to meet the expenses, and it does not enable the Board of Works to disregard the previous 176 article of the agreement, which directs that—
Tenders shall be obtained by public competition for an entire or inclusive contract for the works, purchase of land, and all other expenses incurred, or to be incurred, by the Board of Works and the Company, in connection with the promotion and construction of the railway.