§ MR. T. D. SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Irish Local Government Board are empowered to receive evidence in connection with the Labourers Act other than what is produced at the sworn inquiries held at the Union by their Inspector; whether evidence outside such inquiry was received in the case of a recent investigation in the Carrick electoral division, Mullingar; whether the requisition for a certain number of labourers' cottages in that electoral division was filled up and signed by twelve ratepayers, in due form of law; whether it is true that the bailiff on Captain Rochfort Boyd's estate induced some of those ratepayers, by threats of calling up the hanging gale of rent or other such menaces, to send a memorial to the Local Government Board withdrawing their signatures from the requisition; and, whether such intimidation constitutes an offence under the Crimes Act?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANIt is quite open to the Local Government Board to receive any information which may be furnished to them in these cases. In this instance they received a document, signed by several of the signatories of the original representation, purporting to withdraw their representation on the ground that they had appended their names without understanding the matter. The Board have no information as to how the signatures to the second document were procured; but they have decided to accept the signatures to the original representation as valid, and to confirm the Guardians' scheme, omitting one cottage which was intended for a man who is a cripple, and could not, therefore, be regarded as an agricultural labourer.