* THE EARL OF MAYO, who had on the Paper the following question—
To ask Her Majesty's Government if the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries held inquiries in Limerick, Killaloe, and Athlone on 30th January, 1st February, and 3rd February, 1900; and if the Limerick Board of Conservators applied on 28th March to the Irish Government for a copy of their Report thereon; and if the Irish Government refused it. That as a Bill is now before the House dealing with the matter, will the Government lay the Report 842 upon the Table, or allow those interested in the Bill to see the Report"—said: It may be in the recollection of your Lordships' House that I moved the rejection of a Bill called the Shannon Water and Electric Power Bill. That was a Bill affecting very materially the fisheries in the River Shannon. The Inspectors of Irish Fisheries held an inquiry in Limerick, and it was most important that those interested in the Bill should know the result, but for some reason the Report had been held back. There is a strong suspicion that the Inspectors of Fisheries reported that the Bill would be most harmful to the fisheries, and it would be of great advantage if the Report could be laid on the Table.
§ THE EARL OF DENBIGHThe Report of the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries on the subject of the works proposed to be carried out by the Shannon Water and Electrical Power Company was prepared for the information of the Government, and it would be contrary to official usage to publish it. For this reason the application made by the Limerick Board of Conservators for a copy of the Report was refused, as was also a similar application made by the promoting company; and a like objection exists to the publishing of the Report as a Parliamentary Paper, or to any other form of publication. The Government therefore regret that they are unable to comply with the request of the noble Earl.