§ MR. DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the governors of the asylum of Monaghan demanded from the County Council of Monaghan £6,500 last week for sewerage and other works, and that the county council, not knowing of this expenditure at the asylum, struck a rate that will leave the council in debt several hundred pounds at the end of the year if they have to pay this claim of the asy- 481 lum governors; and whether he will inquire if this work is necessary, and provide that the governors of the asylum will in future give notice to the County Council of Monaghan before making such an outlay.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThis question appears to be founded upon a misapprehension of the facts. The governors of the asylum have not demanded a sum of £6,500 from the county council for the works referred to. The joint committee of the asylum, which includes a certain number of members of the Monaghan County Council, applied to the Local Government Board for sanction to two loans, one of £6,500 for sewerage and other works, and another of £2,500 for building a new church. Advertisements were issued by the joint committee in newspapers circulating in the district inviting any ratepayer or owner of property desirous of making a representation to the Local Government Board in connection with the proposed loans, to do so within fourteen days. No objection was received by the Board, and they have accordingly sanctioned the loans—to be repaid in thirty and forty years respectively. The proportion of the amount of the two loans of £9,000 for which the county Monaghan is liable is £3,872, the county Cavan being liable for the remainder. A printed copy of the notice of the proposal to apply for these loans was sent to every representative of the county council acting on the joint committee of management of the asylum on 14th January last, in compliance with the regulations made by the Local Government Board on the subject.