§ SIR CHARLES M'LARENI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been called to the difficulty of securing the 1145 services of auctioneers to sell the goods and chattels belonging to persons refusing to pay the education rate for denominational schools, seized under distress warrants by the overseers; whether he is aware that in many cases goods have been seized of value far in excess of the balance of rate claimed, and are being held without sale by the overseers; and whether he will issue a circular of advice and instructions to the local authorities as to what course they ought to take in these circumstances.
THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. GRANT LAWSON,) Yorkshire, N. R., ThirskPerhaps I may refer the hon. Member to my right hon. friend's replies to Questions on this subject on the 11th June † and 7th inst.‡ The matter is not one with respect to which he is empowered to intervene, and he does not propose to issue any circular of the kind suggested.