§ CAPTAIN DAWSON-DAMERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland a Question, of which he had given private Notice, Whether, in consequence of the murder which was committed in the County of Mayo on Saturday last, and the Ribandism prevailing in that county, the Government are prepared to move that it be an Instruction to the West-meath Committee to consider the state of the County of Mayo also?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThe Government have at present formed no intention of extending the scope of the inquiry of the Committee. It is quite true that this morning we received a Report of a very horrible, and, I fear, fatal outrage in the county of Mayo; but under any circumstances that particular outrage could not properly form part of the subject of the inquiry by the Committee, inasmuch as it may, and I hope will, become the subject of a judicial inquiry. With regard to the county of Mayo itself, I may state that though outrages have not entirely ceased, still there has been a very great and satisfactory improvement in its general condition. That improvement was alluded to by the Judge in his recent charge to the Grand Jury. Under the circumstances I do not see any reason at present for including the county of Mayo within the scope of the Westmeath Committee.