§ MR. BLAKEsaid, he rose to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether he has seen that portion of the Correspondence between the Poor Law Commissioners and the Guardians of the Mohill Union, county Leitrim (contained in the Report on Lunatic Asylums for 1866, page 111), relative to the death of Charles Flynn at the Sligo Lunatic Asylum, "from injuries received at the Mohill Workhouse," according to the verdict of the Coroner's Jury, where it is stated by the master that Patrick Keenan, in charge of the infirm patients, "had a whip with which to keep the occupants of the ward quiet;" and to inquire whether, as the fact appeared to have been passed over without notice by the Commissioners, he has any objection to suggest to them the desirability of pointing out to the Guardians of the Poor of the Mohill Union the inhumanity and illegality of their suffering the infirm patients in their charge to be kept quiet by means of a whip?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. CHATTERTON)said, in the absence of the noble Lord the Chief Secretary, he would beg to state that the atten- 1336 tion of the Irish Government had been directed to that portion of the Correspondence which was mentioned in the Question. The facts of the case appeared to be these:—A pauper named Charles Flynn was transferred to the Mohill Workhouse where he was received as an ordinary inmate. Afterwards, however, it was found that he was subject to violent epileptic attacks. He was at once sent to the Infirmary until arrangements could be completed for sending him to the district Lunatic Asylum in Sligo. During his confinement in the Infirmary he inflicted injuries on himself which resulted in his death. Dr. Brodie, Inspector of the Poor Law Board, was despatched to the place to investigate the matter, and an inquest was held, when the jury returned an open verdict. The injuries the man received were not such as would have been inflicted by a whip, and were evidently the result of violence the man had himself been guilty of. The result was that he fractured his ribs and thereby caused his death. It was true that the master of the workhouse had a kind of whip in his possession; but it consisted merely of a number of soft cords. Of course, however, it was objectionable that such an instrument should be used, or that it should even be kept for the purpose of inspiring fear; indeed, it was reported that it had never been used, and would now be dispensed with, so that it was unnecessary to address the Commissioners or Board of Guardians on the subject.