§ MR. NOLAN (Louth, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Local Government Board issued certain temporary regulations respecting plague to the Louth District Council, Drogheda Union, commencing 1st October, 1900, and that Dr. O'Keefe was employed to carry out these orders, who furnished an account for £21 for performing the duties connected with same; and, seeing that the Local Government Board declined to sanction the payment of this amount, and that Dr. O'Keefe took legal proceedings for recovery and obtained a decree with costs, whether the Local Government Board will now make an order apportioning the respective amounts to be paid under this decree by each of the sanitary authorities affected—viz., Ardee No. 1 R.D.C., Louth (Drogheda Union) R.D.C., Meath (Drogheda Union) R.D.C., and Drogheda U.D.C.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) The temporary regulations referred to were revoked on the 12th November, 1900. Dr. O'Keefe claimed £21 for twenty-one inspections made between the 14th Febru- 1096 ary, 1901, and the 9th February, 1903. Thirteen of these inspections were made prior to the 1st November, 1901, when no such regulations were in force, and when, therefore, he was not required to inspect vessels from home ports. The regulations were again issued on the last-mentioned date, and were continued in force for a period of six months, during which time he made four inspections. These were the only inspections in respect of which the Board could legally sanction payment, or apportion the cost on the other contributory districts in the Port of Drogheda. The remaining four inspections were made after the expiration of the six months, when there were no special regulations in force. The Louth Rural District Council failed to defend the process in respect of charges for which there was no legal warranty, and they now seek to have the amount of the decree, given through their default, apportioned on the other sanitary districts abutting on the Port of Drogheda, but in the circumstances there is no power to make such apportionment.