§ MR. MACNEILLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the proceedings of two large meetings of ratepayers held in the Court House at Ballyshannon on the 13th and 15th June respectively, and presided 287 over by the Chairman of the Town Commissioners and the Chairman of the District Council: whether he has received copies of resolutions unanimously passed at those meetings, protesting against an Order of the Local Government Board, dated 15th May, 1899, enlarging the contributory area for Bundoran Waterworks, and making the Bundoran water rate a district charge, instead of a charge on the area originally responsible for the loan raised to pay for the works; whether he is aware that one rate, in repayment of an instalment and interest on the loan, has been levied off the area originally defined, whose valuation is £2,933 1s.; and whether, having regard to the fact that the inhabitants of the electoral divisions of Ballintra, Ballyshannon Rural, Ballyshannon Urban, Carrow-garden, Carrickboy, and Cliff, comprised in the enlarged area, are opposed to the charge and will get no benefit from the Bundoran Waterworks, he will take steps to have the sealed Order rescinded and the charge confined to the district from which it was originally arranged that it should be levied.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThe answer to the first and second paragraphs is in the affirmative. I have already explained that the Order of the Board is based on the general principle which it was deemed necessary to adopt in consequence of the rating provisions of the Local Government Act of last session, and has been assented to by the majority of the boards of guardians of Ireland. I am very reluctant to depart from that principle with respect to particular instances, unless an overwhelming case of serious hardship can be shown. As at present advised, I am not convinced that such hardship can be shown to exist in the present instance, but I will look further into the matter.