§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has observed in the last report of the Loan Fund Board of Ireland that during the year 1900 the expenditure of the board exceeded its income by £430; can he state the cause of the excessive expenditure, and has he seen in the report the statement that the lapse of a series of years without efficient general loan fund legislation tends to perpetuate abuses which the Board are powerless to check except by withdrawing the certificate of each offending loan fund society; and whether he proposes to introduce legislation that would prevent the practices referred to.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON, Londonderry, N.)At the request of my right hon. friend, I will reply to this question. The reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The excess is due to the fact that, pending the passing of the, Act of last session, the sale of forms to the several societies—the main source of income of the Board—was greatly 276 checked. I have seen in the report the statements mentioned. I agree that the loan fund system is in a most unsatisfactory condition, but cannot undertake to introduce a measure on the subject this session.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)Seeing that the board has been begging for legislation since 1853, cannot the right hon. Gentleman give a promise that a Bill shall be introduced next session?
§ MR. ATKINSONNo, Sir.
§ It being seven of the clock, the questions remaining unanswered stood over till Thursday next.