§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, at the meeting of the Board of Guardians of Mountmellick Union on the 17th May last, the following Resolution was proposed and seconded, and that the Chairman, Colonel H. Carden, refused to receive it or put it to the Board, viz.:—
That the attention of the Local Government Board be called to the following facts:—That Mr. Mathew S. Cassan, prior to the last election of Guardians in Mountmellick Union, lodged a claim to vote out of property situated, in Kylecolmanbane electoral division as owner of said property, and voting papers were issued to him on the strength of said claim. At the scrutiny of votes, Documents lodged in the Court of Lunacy were produced and submitted to the returning officer, in which Documents Mathew S. Cassan declared that he had no right, title, or interest in said property, that he was virtually and in reality a pauper. The returning officer, on perusal of said Documents, disallowed the votes of the said M. S. Casaan; that the Statement of Claim made by Mathew S. Caasan appears to be knowingly and wilfully untrue, and in direct contravention of the Law; we call on the Local Government Board to hold a full inquiry into same, so that proceedings may be taken against Mathew S. Cassan under Section 12 of General Order dated 26th January 1852, in order that he and others may be deterred from making false claims in future, and so interfering with the purity of elections;whether the Chairman was acting within his right in refusing to put the Resolution; and, whether he will cause an inquiry to be held by the Local Government Board into the conduct of this ex officio Guardian?
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, these Questions related to matters of an intricate nature, some of which occurred long ago. Inquiry would have to be made, 403 and perhaps the hon. Member would postpone the Question.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORsaid, he would repeat his Question on Thursday.