§ MR. MCKILLOPTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the clerk of the petty sessions of Holyrood, Bangor, and Newtownbreda, county Down, has not made a correct Return of the improperly stamped dog licences; whether the Return of the £4 12s. worth of dog stamps, and their destruction, make complete the stamps purchased and used in reference to all the dogs licensed; whether the clerk returned particulars of licences issued for dogs for which stamps had not been cancelled; whether steps will be taken to obtain particulars of cases of mistake; whether steps have been taken to protect from prosecution the holders of licences, in which more than one dog appears, and for which the proper amount of duty has been paid, but which have been improperly stamped; and whether it is usual in such matters, when irregularities are admitted, to accept the excuse of the clerk concerned without taking steps to ascertain the accuracy of his explanation.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I beg to refer to the very full reply given by the Attorney-General for Ireland to the hon. Members' Question on this subject on 20th June. the registrar of petty sessions clerks informs me that he has satisfied himself, by personal investigation on the spot, that the clerk of petty sessions has correctly accounted for all fees received by him for dog licences. The register of dog licorices shows full particulars of the licences issued, including the number of dogs in each licence, and those have been fully accounted for. No prosecution will be taken against those persons whose 1599 licences were insufficiently stamped owing to the accident described in answer to the previous Question.