HC Deb 26 May 1882 vol 269 cc1706-7
MR. DILLON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the police still refuse to allow houses to be erected for the thirty families evicted by Lord Cloncurry in Nurroe, county Limerick; whether the site selected for these houses was some miles distant from the farms from which the tenants had been evicted; whether two Dublin carpenters, who were engaged in erecting these houses, have been arrested and are now in Limerick Gaol, no offence being alleged against them, except their being engaged in constructing these houses; and, whether the Irish Government are prepared to make any statement in reference to police interference with the erection for shelter of evicted tenants in Ireland?

MR. TREVELYAN

The house or the hut, for the attempted erection of which these two carpenters were arrested, was situate in the immediate vicinity of the farm from which the tenants had been evicted, and separated from it only by a small stream and field. There was talk of an appeal against the order of the magistrates to the Court of Queen's Bench; but it has not been proceeded with, and the carpenters have given the required bail and have been discharged. As regards the general policy of the Government in this matter, I beg to refer the hon. Member to my speech of yesterday, in which I stated that it was the intention of the Lord Lieutenant that all cases with respect to huts should be submitted to him before any action was taken in the matter by the police. If His Excellency is satisfied that these huts are required for the bonâ fide purpose of shelter only, and are not intended in any way for purposes of intimidation, he would, I am sure, direct that their erection shall not be prevented.

MR. DILLON

In consequence of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, I shall feel compelled to call attention to this matter on a Motion for Adjournment.

MR. SEXTON

Would the right hon. Gentleman read the terms of the Lord Lieutenant's letter with respect to the inquiry he proposes to make into these cases?

[No answer was given to the Question.]