§ MR. J. DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a copy of a resolution pased by the Castleblayney Board of Guardians, stating that, owing to agricultural depression, the guardians in 1896 struck an insufficient poor rate of 4d. in the pound, and leaving the union, on the 29th September, 1897, £1,250 in debt; and whether he can state if it is the intention of the Government to take advantage of the year 1896 as the standard year under the Local Government Bill, owing to the insufficient poor rate struck in that year in Ireland by boards of guardians?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI have already very fully explained to the honourable Member the reasons for the selection of 1896–7 as the standard year, and must refer him to my previous answers on the subject.