HC Deb 30 June 1882 vol 271 cc930-1
MR. MOLLOY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, With reference to the death in a ruined stable of a child twelve months old, alleged to have been caused by exposure consequent upon eviction while suffering from measles, and the refusal of the resident magistrate to allow the evicted family to use a shelter hut which had been supplied, if he has now received any further information upon the subject; what steps have been taken with regard to the inquest ordered by the coroner to be held, and the refusal or neglect of Sub-Inspector Caulfield to summon a jury, and if the inquest has yet been held; and, if not, why has it not been held, and when is it to be held; if the evicted family was suffering from measles at the time of the eviction; if the statement of Sub-Inspector Caulfield, whose conduct was in question, was a mere denial of the facts above stated, and if his statements are now proved to be false; if, since the above occurrence—viz., on the 25th instant, a second child of the evicted man Kavanagh, which was also alleged to be suffering from measles at the time of the eviction, has died; if the coroner issued his order for an inquest, and issued forty summonses to be served on jurors; and if it was the duty of Sub-Inspector Caulfield to obey the orders of the coroner; if at the last named inquest Sub-Inspector Caulfield selected and sum- moned only a portion of the number of the proposed jury for whom the coroner issued his warrant, and refused to obey the coroner's orders in court; if his attention has been called to the verdict of the jury that— The death of the child was accelerated by exposure and cold on the day of the eviction of his father and family," &c., and to their rider— We desire to record our condemnation of the action taken by the police in preventing the erection of a more fitting habitation for a suffering and sick family; if the coroner stated in his summing up that the report on this matter previously furnished to him was false in almost every material detail; and, whether he will agree to an independent and impartial inquiry into all the circumstances of this case?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, the hon. Member for Wexford has also given Notice of a Question in reference to this case. Having seen the report of the inquest on the body of the second child, I think I am bound to order an inquiry into the matter, and I shall accordingly do so, and lay the report of the result upon the Table.

MR. MOLLOY

asked if the inquiry would be held before an impartial tribunal?

MR. TREVELYAN

said, no doubt the matter was an important one, and he would consult with the authorities in Dublin and see that a proper person was appointed to hold the inquiry.

MR. SEXTON

asked whether these people would be allowed to avail themselves of the huts provided for them now, considering that two children of this evicted man had died and two others were on the point of death?

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

said, that the two men sent down by the Ladies' Land League to erect the huts were sent to gaol for six weeks, and the family were obliged to take refuge in a barn, resulting in the two deaths.

MR. TREVELYAN

, in reply, said, he could hardly imagine that at this moment the refusal to allow the huts to be erected would be persisted in.

MR. SEXTON

hoped the right hon. Gentleman would kindly make it clear to those concerned that these people should be allowed to occupy the huts.