§ MR. HAYDENI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Castlerea Board of Guardians, before the recent elections, had urged the Local Government Board to make the cost of executing certain sanitary works in the towns of Castlerea and Ballaghadereen special expenses leviable on those places only, and that a similar recommendation has since been made by the recently elected District Council, with the assent of the representatives of both Castlerea and Ballaghadereen; whether it is a fact that the opinion of both the old Board of Guardians and the new Council has been disregarded by the Local Government Board, though that body has acted on similar advice in other cases; and whether, in view of all the circumstances, and of the probability of the progress of sanitation being impeded by making sanitary charges distinct charges, he will advise the Local Government Board to alter its decision as desired by the local authorities.
§ *MR. G. W. BALFOURThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The only exceptions made by the Local Government Board to the Rural District being the area of charge for special sanitary expenses are those set forth in Articles 1 and 2 of their Order of the 15th of May last. This Order, which was assented to by the majority of the boards of guardians in Ireland, was rendered necessary in consequence of the rating provisions of the Local Government Act of last year.