§ MR. DALY (Monaghan, South)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, owing to the poverty of the people of the barony of Farney, the Car-rickmacross Board of Guardians, in 1896, struck a poor rate £311 16s. 3d. less than 1895, and £875 13s. 7d. less than 1897; and whether he will request the Local Government Board, under Clause 49 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, when making their grant in aid of rates to Carrickmacross Union, to pay such a sum as, if a sufficient poor rate was struck in 1896, would have left the Union of Carrickmacross out of debt on the 29th September, 1897, the close of the financial year?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURAs I stated yesterday in answer to the honourable Member's somewhat similar question regarding the County Cess in this Barony, any exceptional circumstances in connection with the poor rate raised in the Carrickmacross Union during the standard year will be carefully considered in determining the amount of the agricultural grant payable to that union.