§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Cork County, N.E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to a recent audit of the accounts of Mallow Urban Council, and to the action of Mr. Richard Bourke, an auditor of the Local Government Board, in surcharging three members of the council with the sum of 3s., being the cost of framing an address of congratulation, adopted by the Town Commissioners on the 12th September, 1902, for presentation to His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, on the attainment of his Pontifical Jubilee; and if he can explain why this surcharge has been made, especially in view of the fact that the inhabitants of Mallow were unanimously in favour of the action of the Commissioners, and that, as a result of the examination of accounts involving an expenditure of nearly £6,000, this item was the only one which Mr. Bourke disallowed.
§ MR. WALTER LONGThe facts are generally as stated. No statutory authority exists for any expenditure from the rates for the purpose mentioned, and the auditor was, therefore, bound to surcharge the amount.