§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in the last election of a Poor Law Guardian for the Gorrel Electoral Division of the Carrickon Shannon Union, the police left the voting papers of the following nine electors, Michael Horan, James Mulherin, Luke M'Laughlin, Patrick James Mulherin, Francis Murphy, Richard Brennan, Michael Mulherin, Patrick M'Laughlin, and John Morton, not at their own houses, as prescribed by Law, but at the house of Mr. Arthur Harrison, Sub-Sheriff of the county Leitrim, who is agent of the property on which these nine voters are tenants, and who was himself a candidate in the election; whether Mr. Harrison, having obtained possession of the voting papers, caused the electors named to attend at his house, and there induced them to vote for him; and, whether the Government will take notice of the conduct of this public official, and will protect the voters from intimidatory courses by ^instructing the police to leave the voting 34 paper for each elector at his place of abode, and nowhere else?
§ MR. TREVELYANI have received a Report from the Sub-Inspector of the district, from which it appears that the constable at the Leitrim station received the voting papers from the Clerk of the Union, accompanied by a written request from the voters named in the Question that the papers should be left at the house of Mr. Harrison, as they feared that, if left at their own houses, they would be defaced in their absence. The constable complied with this request. In doing so he was technically wrong; but he bears a high character, and his officers are persuaded that he acted in good faith. Whether or not these electors voted for Mr. Harrison I am unable to say; but that they intended to do so when they made the request above-mentioned seems pretty clear. The incident had no effect on the result of the election, as Mr. Harrison was not elected.
§ MR. SEXTONI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, in leaving the papers in this way, the police do not leave the people open to intimidation; and whether, in all cases, they should not leave the papers at the voters' own houses, and nowhere else?
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, that that was his view of what should be done.