§ MR. SHEEHAN (Cork County, Mid.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at the audit of the accounts of the Mill street Rural District, county Cork, on the 9th instant, the auditor, Mr. Bourke, surcharged six of the councillors the sums of 4s. 6d. and 4s. 8d. for the printing and postage of a resolution asking the landlords of the rural district if they were prepared to sell their estates to their tenants under the provisions of the Land Act, 1903; and, if so, whether, seeing that this expenditure was incurred in the public interest, and in the endeavour to bring about a peaceful settlement of the land question, and that Mr. Bourke or other auditors have passed, without comment, the expenditure made by other district councils in the county in respect of similar resolutions, he will remit the surcharges in this case.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe auditor's report on his recent audit of the accounts of the district council has not yet been received. If surcharges have been made as stated, it will be open to the councillors concerned to appeal to the Local Government Board in the manner prescribed by law.