§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that the Master of Ballycastle Workhouse, county Antrim, has been dismissed from office by a sealed order of the Local Government Board, dated 4th September 1884, for refusing to detain a person who was being forced into the Workhouse against her wishes, although he considered he had no power by Law or Regulation to do so; whether it is a fact that the Guardians agree with the Master in this opinion, and whether the Local Government Board have since declined to inform the Guardians whether or not the Master had any power to detain this person against her own wishes; whether it is a fact that, on the same date that the Local Government Board communicated to the Guardians the dismissal of the Master, they forwarded a further communication to them stating that they had received the half-yearly report of 778 their Inspector relating to the Ballycastle Workhouse, which stated that the management of the Workhouse was satisfactory; and, whether or not he agrees with the decision of the Local Government Board in this matter?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe Master of Ballycastle Workhouse was removed by the Local Government Board, because they deemed him unfit to discharge the duties of his office. In the particular case mentioned in the Question, he allowed a woman who was a lunatic, unable to take care of herself or judge for herself, to leave the workhouse, in spite of the remonstrances of the medical officer, and in direct opposition to the instructions laid down for him by the Board to govern his conduct in such cases. Some of the Guardians take the Master's part; but many of them fully concur in the propriety of his removal. It is true that the Guardians were informed that in August last the Inspector reported favourably upon the general management of the workhouse. But the Local Government Board did not consider that they would be warranted in overlooking the Master's misconduct on this and former occasions. Last year they found it necessary to call upon him to resign, but consented to give him another trial at the request of the Guardians. I may remind the hon. Member that he was informed of this fact in answer to a Question on the 26th July, 1883.