LORD MONTEAGLEasked the Lord President, Whether Her Majesty's Government had yet been informed that the greater number of works presented by the special baronial sessions in the county of Mayo were proposed to be executed, not by contracts or sub-contracts under the county surveyor, but by day work or task work under the county surveyor; whether any of the works to be so executed had been sanctioned by the Commissioners of Public Works, and if so, what proportion? The noble Lord was understood to say he had heard that two-thirds of the works proposed to be executed would be by day-work.
THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDONsaid, that the noble Lord had been misinformed by his correspondent. The Board of Works were now making the necessary inquiries as to the works 296 to be executed, and they had not approved of any yet. The Board would not, unless it should be absolutely necessary to do so, sanction the execution of any works by daywork.