HC Deb 11 June 1880 vol 252 cc1755-9
MR. MITCHELL HENRY

asked the Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he will be good enough to state on what grounds the Board of Works cancelled the presentment made at the special sessions at Athenry for the road from Gloves to Rahard, 380 perches in length; and, whether he is aware that works to the amount of £160 only, out of £850 passed at those sessions, has been allowed by the Board?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I have already stated, in answer to another Question the other day, that the £160 was the amount approved of out of the presentment of £850 made at the Sessions for a new line of road to Gloves. The Inspector of the Board of Works did not think the road necessary, because two public roads existed in the neighbourhood, easily reached all round.

MR. MITCHELL HENRY

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman who are the inspecting officers?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I cannot exactly say; they are appointed by Colonel M'Kinley, and under his authority.

MR. MITCHELL HENRY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he would explain to the House why the Road No. 6 on the schedule of the barony of Ross, county of Galway, passed at the extraordinary presentment sessions held at Maam on the 26th of February last, has been disallowed by the Board of Works; and, whether the Government is aware of the destitution in this neighbourhood, and of the urgent necessity for some relief in the shape of works?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

The presentment for this loan is for £180. It was allowed by the Board of Works, but disallowed by the Local Government Board, on the ground that in the districts around there were sufficient other works to give employment. I have sent to the Local Government Board to ask them to consider whether they might not specially accede to these works.

MR. MITCHELL HENRY

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, Whether I am to understand that the Board of Works disallow some works, and that, if they allow them, the Local Government Board has power to disallow them also?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

The principle on which the presentments of baronial sessions are dealt with is this. First, they are sent to the Board of Works to consider the applications and report as to the utility or not. The second step is that an Inspector of the Local Government Board is sent to consider whether the works are necessary for employment or not. All that have been approved of by the local Inspector are sent to the Local Government Board, and, in case of difference of opinion, they are sent back for re-consideration.

MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has observed, from official statistics lately issued, that the number of deaths last year in Ireland was l1.551 above the yearly average for the decennial period from 1869 to 1878, and was by several thousands the highest mortality recorded in any year since the establishment of the registration of deaths; and, whether, in view of these facts and of the certainty of increased and wide-spread want in Ireland during the course of the next three months, the Government will consider the necessity of providing against deaths occurring through want of the necessaries of life by the adoption of measures of relief more comprehensive, speedy, and certain than those proposed in the Bill before the House?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

The Question, Sir, was put on the Paper last night, and I only saw it this morning, and I need hardly say that as very few hours have elapsed, and as there has been a good deal of pressing Business, it would be difficult for me or anyone to study it. I am, however, enabled to give an answer, although I might have asked the hon. Member to postpone the Question to next Monday, and it would be only reasonable if I did so. Still, I am afraid it would produce an erroneous impression in Ireland; and, therefore, I may state at once the information I have obtained from the last quarterly Returns of the Irish Registrar General. He states that the deaths registered in Ireland during the quarter ending March 31st last amounted to 22.9 per 1,000 of the estimated population against an average rate of 21.9 per 1,000 of the corresponding quarter for the five years, 1875–9. That is an increase of 1.9 per 1,000. The next paragraph of the Report says— There is no doubt that a considerable portion of the increase in the number of deaths recorded is owing to the more complete registra- tion effected by means of the burial returns furnished under the Public Health (Ireland) Acts 1878–9. "Well, I hope that no one would draw the distressing inference from this that it may not be accounted for very much by this difference of the Returns, because I find that the Registrar General thinks it necessary to add these remarks— The registrar's notes appended to this report are throughout more numerous than heretofore. The notes convey more than the usual amount of information concerning the social and sanitary condition of the people. The report of the registrars are of a more favourable character than might have been expected, considering the many privations which the people have suffered from in the more remote rural districts in Ireland during the past few months. Compared with the first quarter of 1878 it appears that the unusual severity of the winter of 1878–9 had a more injurious influence upon the public health and added more to the mortality than the privations of the winter of 1879–80. The former cause was beyond the control of public measures or of the charitable organizations, whereas the latter appears to have been efficiently met by these means. Deaths accelerated by destitution at all times are more numerous than usual in the winter season, and a careful inspection of the tables and registrar's notes shows that up to the present there has been no appearance of the pestilential outbreaks such as usually follow on distress which has unsuccessfully been met by means of relief. The information contained in this report and that for the former quarter of the past year points to the fact that a great danger to the public health and to the lives of the people has been effectually held in check, and that although the distress anticipated in the preliminary report on agricultural produce in Ireland presented to his Grace the Lord Lieutenant in November last has come to pass, yet timely aid has hitherto averted disease and death. Well, I hope that there is much truth in that, and I find on looking at the figures this confirmation, that the lowest county death rate is Mayo for the last quarter of the year, which was, perhaps, also the county in which there was the greatest distress. The highest county rate was in Dublin, and after the lowest in Mayo were placed Sligo and Galway, both of them counties in which there has been much distress. I may say that for whole quarters of the year the death rate per 1,000 of 22.9 is exactly the same figure as in England. In reply to the last part of the Question of the hon. Gentleman, the Government have to state that they consider they are taking all the measures they can for the relief of the distress for the next three months.

MR. SEXTON

Might I ask, with reference to the County Mayo, Whether that was not the county in which the largest reduction of rents was obtained from the landlords?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

It would be impossible for me to answer such a Question as that.