§ MR. JOSEPH DEVLIN (Kilkenny, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to a meeting of the Law Committee of the Belfast City Council with representatives of the Belfast, County Down, Railway Company, held in Belfast on 14th instant, with regard to the Belfast Tramway Bill now before Parliament, at which an agreement was arrived at which if carried out will place a monopoly of the passenger traffic of an extended area on the county Down side of Belfast in the hands of the County Down Railway Company, and prevent that whole district from being opened up by the Belfast City Council's; tramways; and, if so, whether, in view of the principles involved in this arrangement, he will take steps to secure its exclusion from the Bill when it comes before the House of Commons for further consideration.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The Bill referred to is a Private Bill, proceedings with respect to which do not appear to call for the intervention of the Government.