HC Deb 24 March 1884 vol 286 cc589-90
LORD ARTHUR HILL

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House, a Return giving the religious persuasions of the middle class officers, attendants, and servants, in all the district lunatic asylums in Ireland?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, I think the presentation of such a Return undesirable, and, beyond that, I am not aware of an precedent for the granting of a Return involving personal inquiries as to religious professions. If the noble Lord wishes to ask a Question about any particular asylum, I will give him the information if it is in the possession of the resident Medical Superintendent, as I recently did in answering a Question put to me by the hon. Member for Cavan (Mr. Biggar); but I would not consent to any extended inquiry on the subject.

MR. HEALY

The right hon. Gentleman says there is no precedent for such an inquiry. Did not he make such inquiry in the case of the Sub-Commissioners under the Land Act?

MR. TREVELYAN

There was no such Return, so far as I know, in the case of the Sub-Commissioners. The only Return anything like this was in the case of the Justices of the Peace in Ireland, and there was no personal inquiry made in those cases to get the information from themselves; all the information given was matter of notoriety.