§ MR. BIGGAR (for Mr. MARUM)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the alleged improper conduct of certain bailiffs, furnished with a police escort for their protection, in effecting the arrest of Miss Kelly, of Ballicudihy, in the county of Kilkenny; that whereas, upon the death of her father Michael Kelly, intestate, and possessed of 500 acres of landed property, and other assets, Miss Kelly remained in occupation of the premises, and entitled thereto, share and share alike with her two married sisters; that an attachment order having issued in an administration suit, for the arrest of Miss Kelly, two sheriffs' bailiffs demanded admission at her aforesaid residence at Ballicudihy, on Friday the 9th instant, at the hour of four o'clock a.m.; that Miss Kelly, having got out of bed, only partially dressed, to answer the summons at the door, thereupon was immediately seized upon by the bailiffs, dragged across rough pavements, injuring her bare feet, and forced upon an open outside car in a semi-nude condition, to which she was strapped down by a strong cord round her waist, and her hands tied with cords, with such violence that the police escort remonstrated with the bailiffs to have the cords relaxed; that, without permitting this lady to dress herself, or procuring a closed vehicle to convey her, the bailiffs, accompanied by the police escort, drove her, in this condition, a distance of ten miles, through the streets 1772 of Kilkenny city, to the railway terminus there, whence she was conveyed by rail, in a third class compartment, with the bailiffs, to the gaol of Waterford, in the adjacent county, being a further distance of some thirty miles; whether a report of this action has been furnished to the constabulary authorities; and, if so, whether he will state its substance, and the course he intends to take thereon; and, whether the Prison Board will be requested to reopen the gaol for female prisoners in Kilkenny city, and avoid sending them some thirty miles to the adjacent county gaol of Waterford?
§ MR. TREVELYANI am informed that Miss Kelly is defendant in an administration suit in which, for disobeying an order of the Court of Chancery, a writ of attachment was issued for her arrest. Two attempts were made to execute the writ. The sheriff was obliged to abandon the first, owing to Miss Kelly's violent resistance. On the second occasion, which is probably that referred to in the Question, the bailiffs went early to the defendant's house; but they made no attempt to enter, until a servant opened the door at half-past 6, and they waited until Miss Kelly came down stairs at half-past 7 before they arrested her. She was not in the condition described in the Question, but had her boots on, and was fully dressed. She again resisted violently, and the bailiffs found it necessary to tie her to the car upon which they took her to Kilkenny, a distance of four miles. It is not the case that they tied her hands. At Kilkenny a covered vehicle was obtained, in which she was driven through the city to the railway station, and taken thence by rail to Waterford. This is the account which is given by the police, and from it it appears that the bailiffs were only doing their duty in arresting Miss Kelly, and that any additional annoyance she was subjected to was entirely owing to her own violent behaviour. This case affords no reason why Kilkenny Prison should be re-opened for female prisoners. Waterford, where the prisoners are now taken to, is only one hour and a quarter distant by rail.