HC Deb 20 June 1882 vol 270 cc1758-60
MR. MOLLOY

asked the Chief Secre- to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he is aware that Mr. Gowing, coroner, attended at Rhode, King's County, on Wednesday last, to open an inquest on the body of a child, aged twelve months, who died from exposure consequent upon an eviction and the refusal of the resident magistrate to allow the shelter huts to be erected which had been provided; if the child, at the time of the eviction, was lying ill of the measles, and in a dangerous state; whether Sub-Inspector Caulfield neglected to summon a jury, although he had received the coroner's precept eighteen hours before the time for holding the inquest; and whether, at the opening of the inquest, the police offered no explanation to the coroner, but merely stated in reply that, although the precept had been received, no jury had been summoned; what steps the Government propose to take in the matter; and, whether the family of the dead child, and the other families of the evicted, are not at liberty to take advantage of the shelter huts, the use of which has been denied to them by the resident magistrate?

MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that the police, at Rhode, King's County, recently pro-vented by threats the erection of a hut, provided by the Ladies' Land League, to shelter the family of an evicted labourer named Kavanagh; whether, in consequence of the conduct of the police, Kavanagh, his wife, and his children, who, as notified to the police, were ill of measles, had to avail themselves of the shelter of a shed or stable without door, window, or chimney, and have lived there for the last fortnight; whether the result has been that exposure has caused the death of one of the children, and that another is now lying at the point of death; whether the coroner of Queen's County, in accordance with the Law, issued his precept to the police directing them to provide a jury to inquire into the death of the child, and giving them twenty-eight hours' notice for the purpose; whether the police disregarded the precept, and failed to provide the jury, in consequence of which no inquest has yet been held; and, whether the Executive will take notice of the conduct of the police, and institute further action in the matter?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, as these two Questions relate to the same matter, I shall answer them both together. I am informed that the facts of the case are as follows:—The Coroner did attend at Rhode, in the King's County, on the 14th instant, to open an inquest on the body of a child of a labourer named Kavanagh, who has been employed on the farm of a Mr. Kerr. He, with other labourers, had demanded higher wages, and, being refused, struck work, and had been ordered by the magistrates in Petty Sessions to give up his house and garden. There was no eviction in the case. Kavanagh's child was at the time suffer- ing from measles, and Mr. Kerr told him he might remain in the house if he produced a medical certificate to the effect that moving the child would be injurious. Kavanagh, however, gave up possession at once and got shelter in an unoccupied house, which I am informed a very little trouble would have rendered quite habitable. The child having died, the Coroner, by letter of the 12th instant, sent the Sub-Inspector a precept to hold an inquest on the 14th, and the Sub-Inspector telegraphed on the 13th to have the Coroner informed that an inquest was unnecessary, as the child had died from natural causes. Nevertheless, the Coroner attended on the 14th, when the Sub-Inspector handed him a notice explaining that the time had not been sufficient to enable him to collect a jury, there being few eligible persons residing in the locality. The Sub-Inspector asked for a fresh precept, giving sufficient time to summon a jury; but the Coroner stated he would not issue one, but would leave the matter in the hands of the Government. No communication has, however, been since received from him by Government. The erection of the huts for these labourers had been prevented by the magistrate, as information had been given that they were to be erected for purposes of intimidation and for the encouragement of the labourers' strike. Huts are allowed to be erected now under the circumstances which I stated on Friday. The doctor who attended Kavanagh's child states that it died from natural causes; another of his children is now ill. I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of this report; but I have directed further inquiry to be made as to the alleged neglect of the Sub-Inspector.