§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is true that some of the pawnbrokers of Dublin are in the habit of sending unredeemed goods out of the city to be sold, instead of sending them to the divisional sale rooms provided by law, where they should be sold by public auction under the Control of the City Marshal and the City Sword-bearer; whether he is aware that the sending of these goods for sale out of the city is done to evade serving-notices required by law for the protection of the public, and avoiding the payment of certain fees to the City Marshal and Sword-bearer to enable them to provide, as they are bound to do by law, proper sale rooms for the sale of such goods within the city; whether the practice also exists of some pawnbrokers selling on their premises unredeemed goods without any notice being given to the owners of such goods or to the City Marshal or Sword-bearer; and whether, in the public interest, he proposes to take steps to stop these illegal practices?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Dublin police are not aware that unredeemed goods are sent by pawnbrokers out of the city to be sold. Such a course, if adopted, would be illegal and a contravention of the provisions of the Pawnbrokers Act. No complaint has been made to the police that pawned goods are sold without notice being given by pawnbrokers in accordance with the requirements of the Act, nor are the police aware that such goods are sold on the premises of pawnbrokers. If, however, the honourable Member is in possession of any definite information on the subject and will communicate it to mo I will be happy to have further inquiry made in the matter.