§ MR. HOPWOODasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the case of John Savage, of Kinsale, county Cork, who, for refusing to have his child vaccinated because, as he alleged, a child of his previously had suffered from its effects, and he had besides seen two children of neighbours dead, as he believed, through its operation, has been twenty-six times prosecuted and fined for his refusal, his effects distrained upon and sold, and is now under the order of the justices for a similar fine; whether he has petitioned the Lord Lieutenant upon the subject, and with what result; and, whether the Government of Ireland will consider the propriety of such repeated prosecutions with a view to their restraint? He wished also to ask whether the Chief Secretary would consider the propriety of sending to the Boards of Guardians recommendations after the manner of the English Local Government Board with regard to the number of prosecutions to be made?
§ MR. TREVELYAN,in reply, said, he found that John Savage, of Kinsale, had petitioned his Predecessor on the subject referred to in this Question. He represented himself as having been summoned 27 times, and having been fined 11 times for one child and twice for another. The late Chief Secretary appeared to have given very careful attention to the case; and, after consideration with the Vice President of the Local Government Board, he informed Mr. Savage that the Board did not consider it their province to interfere with the discretion vested in the Boards of Guardians in reference to prosecutions under the Compulsory Vaccination Act. He would, however, make further inquiries.