§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1705 If it be true that an inmate of the Belfast Asylum named Nelson was, without any application from his friends, or written authority from the Belfast Board of Guardians, removed to the Belfast Workhouse in May 1879, and has been since kept there as a permanent charge on the rates, although the expense of his keep in the Asylum was comparatively nil, and his transfer to the Workhouse was disapproved of by Nelson's relatives; if it be true that Nelson's relatives are highly respectable, and Nelson himself has a large sum of money in the bank; if it be true that the Guardians refused to hand over Nelson to his relatives, although his fitness to be removed had been previously certified for; and, if, under these circumstances, he will kindly furnish and have placed upon the Table of the House Copies of any and all Correspondence which has passed between the Local Government Board, and the Belfast Guardians, and the Belfast Asylum Governors, and of all resolutions adopted by either or all of these public bodies, in any way dealing with the original cause of removal from the Asylum, or subsequent admission or maintenance in the Belfast Workhouse; and also furnish such other explanations and statements as will be likely to satisfy the public mind that the Local Government Board for Ireland in this case has done its duty?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I have made inquiry into the subject of this Question, and find that Robert Nelson, the person referred to in it, was discharged from the Belfast Lunatic Asylum on the 30th of May, 1879, his mania having assumed a harmless character; and on the same date was admitted into the Belfast Workhouse, as it appeared that he was destitute. It appears to be the practice to receive into the workhouse from the asylum a harmless lunatic when the Guardians desire to transfer a dangerous lunatic from the workhouse to the asylum; and it seems probable that Nelson's transfer was effected under this arrangement, as the records show that an inmate of the workhouse was taken to the asylum on the 30th of May. The Guardians did not refuse to hand over Nelson to his relatives; but in September last they were informed that he had a sum of money deposited in the bank, and, having ascertained that this was so, he was handed over to his friends, who re- 1706 moved him from the workhouse on the 14th of last month. I do not think there is any reason for laying the Correspondence on the Table.