§ MR. MACVEAGHI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant 955 of Ireland whether he can state if, after the passing of the Local Government Act, 1898, Mr. Ellis, an auditor under the Local Government Board, devised; and copyrighted certain account forms, including a ledger to last for five years; whether he made arrangements with Dollard and Co., printers, to produce same for sale to the public bodies whose accounts he was auditing; whether Mr. Ellis has now placed a contract with Helys, Limited, printers, for the production, in connection with The Public Bodies Order, 1904, of copyrighted books to be sold to public bodies under the control of the Department of which Mr. Ellis is an official; and, if so, whether he can state the profits which accrued to Mr. Ellis from the copyrighting of the ledger and other works.
§ MR. WALTER LONGThe Local Government Board have no information as to the alleged arrangements between Mr. Ellis and the publishing firms referred to.
§ MR. MACVEAGHThen does the right hon. Gentleman decline to inquire?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI see no object in holding an inquiry.
§ MR. MACVEAGHIt is a public fraud.