HC Deb 14 February 1850 vol 108 cc758-9
MR. MONSELL

wished to put a question to the right hon. Baronet the Secretary for Ireland with reference to the condition of the paupers in the Kilrush union. When a question was put on the subject a few days ago, the right hon. Baronet led the House to believe that the statements then made as to the miserable and starving condition of those unfortunate persons were exaggerated, and said, that at the time they were alleged to be in such a frightful condition there was a large amount of accommodation available in the union workhouse. He (Mr. Monsell) had since received accounts from Kilrush, from which he learned that the number of deaths in the workhouse in November, 1849, was 50; and in the month ending the 3rd of February, 1850, the number had increased to 120. He was also informed that in the week ending the 2nd of February, 40 persons died, 28 of them from dysentery, and that more than one-half of those unfortunate persons had not been a month in the workhouse; and also that a large number of persons who had repaired to the workhouse from distant parts of the union had been compelled to return to their homes without food or relief. He therefore begged to ask whether outdoor relief had been stopped in the union at two separate periods; whether there were funds in the hands of the guardians at the time of the last stoppage; whether the number of deaths he had stated was correct; and whether it was true large numbers of persons, amounting to several hundreds, had been sent back from the workhouse without their cases being considered by the guardians?

SIR W. SOMERVILLE

said, that on a late occasion, when his hon. Friend the Member for Stroud put to him a long series of interrogatories with reference to the Kilrush union, he (Sir W. Somerville) answered him to the best of his ability, and in a great degree from memory. He hoped, however, that the hon. Member for Limerick county would excuse him if he adopted a different course on this occasion; because it was really impossible for him to return precise and specific replies at the moment to questions founded upon communications which might be made to any hon. Gentleman, when he had no papers which would enable him to answer those inquiries with accuracy. He had not meant, on the last occasion, at all to deny the great amount of distress existing in the Kilrush union; and he told the hon. Member for Stroud, that if he required any papers on the subject, he (Sir W. Somerville) was ready to produce them. He could only now repeat that statement to the hon. Member for Limerick; and if the two hon. Gentlemen would move for papers, he was quite ready to lay on the table any information it was in his power to afford. He did not think that the stoppage of relief referred to by the hon. Gentleman was likely to have arisen from any want of funds in the hands of the guardians. He had the means of ascertaining the amount of mortality from the returns which were furnished to him; and it was quite true that there had been a very great increase in the mortality in the Kilrush union during the last few weeks. He did not wish to understate the amount of misery and destitution existing in that union. The privations which the people were suffering were undoubtedly excessive, and he deeply regretted the existence of such a state of things; but he believed that the destitution would be best relieved by increasing the workhouse accommodation. He might observe, that within a very short time the Government had advanced the necessary funds for providing additional workhouse accommodation in the Kilrush union for 500 paupers.