*CAPTAIN FABER (Hampshire, Andover)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, at the late assizes at Galway, Lord Justice Holmes gave compensation for malicious injuries in the district of Loughrea to the amount of £67 19s. 6d. in seven cases; that all these cases were appealed against from quarter sessions by the county council; and that Lord Justice Holmes stated that the taking of these appeals was a scandalous waste of public money; and, 775 if so, win the matter be brought under the notice of the Local Government Board.
§ MR. BIRRELLAt the recent Galway Assizes the Loughrea District Council appealed, in the exercise of their statutory right, against five awards of compensation for malicious injury. In one case the appeal was successful, and in the remaining four cases the award was confirmed with costs, the total amount of compensation in these cases being £53 and the costs £22. According to a newspaper report of the proceedings which has been brought to my notice, Lord Justice Holmes made a remark to the effect stated in the Question. The payments made by the council in these cases will come before the Local Government Board's auditor in due course.