§ MR. P. J. O'BRIEN (Tipperary, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to a recent scandal at the police station of Pike Ballingarry, county Tipperary; whether Police Sergeant M'Clintock, in charge at that station, had, in the month of November, 1886, discharged the barrack servant without cause, and substituted in her stead a woman of reputed bad character, and against the rules of the Service, she being unmarried and but 32 years of age; whether the sergeant reported her as being of the age of 45 years; whether he allowed her to remain for mouths in the station after it being reported; she was cohabiting with one of the men; whether she subsequently charged Sub-Constable Cruise, of that station, with 1159 being the father of her child born on the 8th of July last; whether Sergeant M'Clintock, in his Report to the County Inspector, sought, to fix the paternity on a constable named Farrington, in face of the woman's own statement incriminating Cruise; whether the only punishment inflicted on Sub-Constable Cruise was his removal from Pike Station at the public expense; and, whether he will cause full inquiry to be made into the entire, conduct of Sergeant M'Clintock in this matter?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETAEY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: The Inspector General of Constabulary reports that in October last Sergeant M'Clintock, of Pike Station, reported to his officer, who was inspecting the party there, that he had bean obliged to obtain a now barrack servant, the present servant being almost useless, owing to extreme old age. The officer, at the sergeant's request, saw the woman, and gave his sanction to her employment, she being, as appeared to him, quite elderly. The Regulation requires that the servant be either an elderly or a married woman. It is difficult to procure a barrack servant at Pike. The sergeant stated that the woman was 43 years of age. Soon after au anonymous letter was received by the County Inspector that the woman was of immoral character. It was then ascertained that, though, she bore a good character in recent years, she had had an illegitimate child 16 years before. This fact led the sergeant to inquire particularly into the case, and from what he ascertained lie decided to discharge her, which accordingly was done. She appears to have been three or four months employed as a servant; but there was no evidence that any impropriety occurred during that period. This woman did make a charge against Constable; Cruise of having intercourse with her; but he denied it. The allusion to Constable Farrington in the Report referred to merely stated that Constable Cruise had said to a comrade that Farrington would prove, if necessary, that he (Cruise) was not guilty of the alleged offence. The whole ease was fully inquired into, and it was found that none of the charges made were capable of proof; and also that there was every 1160 reason to believe that when Sergeant M'Clintock employed the woman he fully believed that her character was good.