§ MR. BIGGARasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether a woman, by name Ann Kane, aged 78 years, applied recently at 9 p.m. for admission to the Westminster Union Workhouse; whether the master refused to admit her, and whether it be true that she lay on the pavement outside the gate all night, until the police interfered, when she was admitted at 7.30 a.m.; and, whether the infant of a Roman Catholic, named Duff, was allowed to die without the rites of the Church, viz. baptism, though the relatives begged that the priest should be sent for, the said infant having lived 13 days?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, the Local Government Board have communicated with the Guardians of the Westminster Union as to the case of Ann Kane, and they are informed that the woman was refused admission to the workhouse on the night of the 9th ultimo. It is stated by the workhouse master and porter that she was at the time wearing the clothes of another Union, and was very drunk and abusive. The night porter alleges that the woman left after she had been refused admission, and that he was not aware until 6.30 the following morning that she had returned. The woman, however, says that she was lying on the pavement all night. With regard to the infant Duff, the Board are informed that on Sunday, the 17th. ultimo, the 34 grandmother of the child having expressed a wish that it should be baptized the porter was requested by the matron to draw the attention of the Roman Catholic priest to the case when he came to the workhouse. The priest attended in the afternoon of the following day; but the child died somewhat suddenly in the morning of that day. The Board have directed one of their Inspectors to visit the workhouse and make further inquiry, with the view of ascertaining what blame, if any, attaches to the officers in these eases.