§ MR. REYNOLDSsaid, he had given notice that it was his intention to ask the right hon. Baronet the Chief Secretary for Ireland a question respecting the investigation held in the Dingle workhouse, county of Kerry—namely, whether the Protestant chaplain and other paid officials, alleged to have bribed Catholic paupers to become Protestants, were still continued in their respective appointments? He wished also to know whether Sir Thomas Ross, one of the parties arraigned, was still retained in the pay of the Poor Law Commissioners? Whether the Rev. Mr. Lewis and the Rev. Mr. Goodman were retained as chaplains of the workhouse? And whether two men named Lacy and Leitch, Bible-readers, and officers in connection with the workhouse, were still retained there? He asked these questions of the right hon. Baronet in his capacity as Secretary for Ireland, and not as a Poor Law Commissioner.
§ SIR WILLIAM SOMERVILLEreplied that the hon. Gentleman had asked him a great many questions of which he had not given notice in the notice paper, and some of the questions were very difficult to answer without entering largely into the subject to which they referred. He had seen the papers relating to those transactions, which were themselves of a very recent date; and the correspondence regarding it had not yet been completed. He believed that a complaint had been made by the Roman Catholic chaplain that money had been distributed by the Protestant chaplain to persons in the workhouse. An inquiry was ordered by the Poor Law Commissioners into this circumstance, and evi- 1096 dence taken upon it; and it appeared that money had been distributed—that the Protestant chaplain of the workhouse, the Rev. Mr. Goodman, and his curate were in the habit of distributing money to the Catholic paupers; but it did not appear that this money was distributed for proselytising purposes, and any such intention was denied upon oath by the Rev. Mr. Goodman. There could be no doubt but that such a practice was most objectionable, and that it tended to destroy the discipline of the workhouse, and that it might lead to great evils. The Poor Law Commissioners had therefore addressed a letter to the Rev. Mr. Goodman, in which they insisted that such practices should be discontinued; and upon the answer received by the rev. gentleman would depend what course might be taken. He believed that the charges against the other gentlemen of the establishment had been abandoned. As to Sir Thomas Ross, he had not been for more than a twelvemonth in the employment of the Poor Law Commissioners.
§ MR. REYNOLDSwished to know if there would he any objection to produce the copy of the sworn evidence before Captain Sparkes?
§ SIR WILLIAM SOMERVILLEsaid he had no objection to produce it.