§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether the Secretary for Scotland has received a copy of a resolution, which was carried unanimously at a meeting of the Ross and Cromarty County Council in December last, in which they again request the Government to provide by legislation that the council and the district committees shall be enabled to construct and repair bridle-paths, footbridges, etc., out of the road rates, as provided in the 12th section of the Local Government Bill brought in by the Secretary for Scotland in April, 1895; and further to provide for the County Council and Parish Council elections being held at a more genial period of the year, as was provided in the 16th section of the same Bill; and will he state what steps it is proposed to take in the matter?
MR. GRAHAM MURRAYI am informed by the Secretary for Scotland that he has not received the Resolution referred to in the first portion of the honourable Member's Question, but has received one of a similar nature from the Lews District Committee. It is not proposed to legislate on the point, but if the honourable Member will refer to the appendices of the report of the Congested Districts Board, he will find that 41 certain roads, footbridges, and bridges in Ross and Cromarty are being constructed by aid of grants from that Board. As regards the second portion of the Question, the reply is, that no memorials have been received by the Secretary for Scotland in favour of the suggested change since 1893, and that he does not propose to legislate on the subject.