§ MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH (Fermanagh, N.)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average annual income for the last five years, derived from stamps and other duties in the Irish county courts; what is the average total, annual cost of those courts to the Exchequer, for same period; what is the average animal income for the last five years from stamps and other duties ins the petty sessions courts in Ireland; what is the cost to the Exchequer for the same period; whether it is out of the surplus income from the petty sessions courts that it is proposed to partially finance the proposed Labourers Act of this session; or how otherwise is the petty sessions clerks fund made up; and what sum, on the average of the past five years, is received by the Exchequer out of fines and penalties imposed in the Irish petty sessions courts.
(Answered by Mr. Asquith.) As regards Irish county courts, the average annual income for the last five years is £24,331 14s. 7d., and the average annual cost for the same period is £64,481 19s. 9d. As regard the petty sessions courts, the average annual amount available to meet expenditure in connection with these courts for the five years to 31st December 1904, up to which date the figures have been audited, was £88,574, made up as follows:—
| £ | |
| Petty sessions stamps | 24,217 |
| Fines | 14,733 |
| Interest on invested funds | 5,652 |
| Miscellaneous receipts | 252 |
| Receipts under Dogs Act, 1865 | 43,720 |
§ The receipts under the Dogs Act are drawn upon only to the extent necessary to meet the excess of actual expenditure over the other income of the courts, the average amount so drawn having been £26,129. The Exchequer is at no cost in connection with these courts. It is not 693 out of surplus income, but out of the interest on a capital sum of £150,000, being part of a capital sum of about £179,000 now invested in consols and railway debenture stock, itself the produce of surplus incomes in former years, that it is proposed partially to finance the Labourers Bill of this session. The petty sessions clerks fund is derived from the sources indicated above. The receipts by the Exchequer out of fines and penalties (merchant shipping fines) amounted to an average of £11 4s. 11d. for the last five years.