§ MR. DUFFY (Galway, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the surcharge made by the Local Government Board on three members of the Gort Board of 868 Guardians; whether he is aware that the surcharge arose out of a meat contract, which brought a saving to the rates; whether he is aware that the guardians surcharged had nothing to do with the acceptance of the tender; and will he explain how it is that, when there was no loss to the guardians in the accepted tender, the Local Government Board is now seeking to receive £38 3s. 2d.
§ MR. BIRRELLIn this case the contract entered into by the guardians was declared by the Local Government Board to be null and void. The guardians, however, in spite of the warning of the Local Government Board, persisted in taking meat under the void contract, and the auditor was obliged by law to surcharge the payments made in the case. I have already informed the hon. Member that the Local Government Board have felt it to be their duty to sustain the surcharge in order to secure the due observance by the guardians of the law in these matters.