§ SIR G. GREYdesired to make a short statement with regard to the forcible ejectments and the destruction of houses in the union of Galway, which had been several times before the House. He had promised the hon. Member who had introduced the case (Mr. P. Scrope), that he would put the House in possession of the information he received from his noble Friend the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, which he hoped would be more satisfactory than that which he (Sir G. Grey) at that time possessed. He immediately wrote to his noble Friend; and this morning he received a private letter from his noble Friend, written in consequence of the notice taken of the case in that House. In this letter his noble Friend expressed surprise, in which he (Sir G. Grey) participated, that, owing to 1062 circumstances arising from an accident which was to him inexplicable, his right hon. Friend (Sir W. Somerville) should have no knowledge of the measures taken by the Government, because it was the Lord Lieutenant's impression that information of the proceedings taken by the Government had been addressed to him some time ago. That letter must have been accidentally lost. It had certainly never reached him (Sir G. Grey); and his right hon. Friend (Sir W. Somerville) said that until last night he had never received an answer to his letter, although Mr. Redington was under the impression that one had been sent. He (Sir G. Grey), after the reproaches which had been cast upon the Irish Government in consequence of this case, felt it due to his noble Friend the Lord Lieutenant to state the steps he had taken in consequence of it; after which he was sure the House would acquit him of any neglect of, or indifference to, the outrage alleged to have been committed. The Earl of Clarendon said, that the moment he heard of the case, which was before the statement was made in the Galway Mercury, because it had been brought under the notice of the Government by the report of the assistant poor-law commissioner, he took measures for a thorough investigation of the facts, and, if they were substantiated, to punish the parties guilty of the cruelty alleged to have been committed. Some delay, however, unavoidably occurred, much to his regret, owing to Captain Hellard being, just at that period, seized with typhus fever, which terminated in his death. Major M'Kie, who was appointed to succeed Captain Hellard, made the inquiry, the result of which was before the House. Directly the report of that inquiry was brought under the notice of the Lord Lieutenant, he submitted the whole case to the law officers of the Crown, who gave it as their opinion that Government could not legally undertake a criminal prosecution. Lord Clarendon's next step was to intimate to the Lord Chancellor that Mr. Blake's name should be removed from the commission of the peace. The Lord Chancellor did not immediately act upon that suggestion; but he transmitted a statement of the case to Mr. Blake, and, according to the practice, afforded him an opportunity of making what explanation he chose. He regretted to state that for a length of time no explanation was received from Mr. Blake; and when at last it did arrive, it was considered 1063 so unsatisfactory, that his name was struck off the list of magistrates. Mr. St. George, a Member of that House, had also been called upon for an explanation, but no answer had yet been received from him.