§ MR. F. MEEHANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that in the Public "Works Loan Bill introduced by the Government in last session of Parliament provisions were made for a free grant of £32,909 to the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland, on behalf of the Sligo, Leitrim, and Northern Counties Railway Company, and having regard to the fact that this railway is not managed in accordance with public opinion in the counties through which it runs, inquiries will be made regarding the same before sanctioning this grant.
§ MR. HOBHOUSEThe grant in question was simply the formal remission of arrears of interest due on a loan in accordance with an arrangement made in 1896, when the affairs of the company were settled under a reconstruction scheme. The remission was confirmed by the Public Works Loans Act of this session, and the transaction is thereby closed. In these circumstances the course suggested by the hon. Member is impracticable.