HC Deb 06 August 1883 vol 282 cc1628-9
MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (for Mr. T. P. O'CONNOR)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If his attention has been called to the Report of an interview between Mr. Hayden, the correspondent of the "Baltimore Herald," and the "Philadelphia Press," and the Guardians of the Loughrea Union, reported in the "Western Morning News" of 28th July, as follows:— Mr. Hayden: Now I want to know, in the first place, is it the custom of your Board to bond a woman, not married, having illegitimate children, to America; Clerk: No Mr. Hayden: A woman appeared before this Board on Saturday last, and was refused because she had illegitimate children; Clerk: The Local Government Board refused to sanction such persons; Mr. Hayden: Is it a fact that a woman having illegitimate children went in the last batch of your emigrants; Clerk: I think not. I don't know; Mr. Hayden: What about Teresa Redington; Clerk: She was a widow, and had one child; whether, within a few minutes of this disclaimer on the part of the Clerk of the Union, application was made for the admission into the workhouse of an illegitimate child whom the woman Redington had left behind; and, whether the Local Government Board issued any instructions to the Boards of Guardians against including in their emigrants to the United States women with illegitimate children?

MR. TREVELYAN

The woman referred to, whose name is Edington, not Redington, is a widow with one legitimate child, whom she has taken with her to America. She was not in receipt of relief or a workhouse inmate. Her uncle had written from America as follows:— I will get her good employment, and I shall keep her till such time as she will be well engaged. When the Guardians had this woman's application before them, they were not aware that since she became a widow she had had an illegitimate child; and the Emigration Committee were not informed of the child's existence. The Local Government Board declined to consent to the emigration of women with illegitimate children, except under very particular and very exceptional circumstances, and when they ascertained that the woman is a person of reformed character; but no general instructions have been issued on the point.