§ MR. MOORE (Antrim, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland can he state whether any sum has been paid to the credit of the County Antrim Lunatic Asylum by way of capitation grant in respect of the period 1st January, 1898, to 1st April, 1898; is he aware that a payment was made on the 22nd June, 1899, being a sum of £4,173 11s., and expressed to be for the service of the year ending 31st December, 1898, and the next payment for one year's service from 1st April, 1899, to 31st March, 1900, being a sum of £4,474 18s. 4d.; will he state whether this grant, in respect of the period from 1st January, 1899, to 1st April, 1899, is a charge on the Exchequer; or whether the Local Government (Ireland) Act, in trans ferring the charge to the Local Taxation (Ireland) Account, did so retrospectively, to as to cover this period; which department is now liable for payment of same; 1328 and will he see that this sum, amounting to £1,078 17s., will be paid by the department liable.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI have on various occasions, when my hon. friend no doubt was not present in the House, replied to similar questions, and stated the position which the Government takes on this subject. I shall be happy to give him in writing a fuller explanation than the limits of an answer allow.