§ MR. W. J. CORBET (Wicklow, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that the relieving officer of the district at Kilbride has been in the habit of leaving the money intended for poor people on out-door relief at the shop of a Mr. Cole; whether it is a fact that when they have called for their pittance they have been obliged to take it in kind, bread, meal, &c, Mr. Cole refusing to give them the money; whether the practice has existed for years, and whether it will be put a stop to; whether he is aware it is intended to appoint Mr. Cole to the office of postmaster at Kilbride; and, whether he will communicate with the Secretary to the Treasury on the subject?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said, the Local Government Board had ascertained that the present relieving officer had been in the habit of leaving the money at Mr. Cole's shop, and the practice had been pursued for several years. The Clerk of the Union stated that the practice was never pursued without the consent of the poor people themselves, and it was mostly done at their request. No complaint had been received with regard to it. The Local Government Board were not aware whether the people had to take goods instead of money; but they considered the practice of leaving the money at the shop was objectionable, and they had taken steps to have it discontinued. As to the appointment of Mr. Cole as postmaster, it would be for the Postmaster General to decide if any further action was necessary.
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)asked, would the Government look into the facts of this case, in order to say whether they showed a conspiracy to compel people to abstain from what they had a legal right to do—namely, to buy goods from a particular shopkeeper; and, if so, would they institute a prosecution?
§ MR. W. J. CORBETMay I ask, will the right hon. and gallant Gentle-man inquire into the matter, and ascertain whether they are compelled to take their relief in kind?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANsaid, the Local Government Board had not yet discovered that such allegations were correct; but, in view of the possibility of such things taking place, they had taken steps to bring about the discontinuance of the practice of leaving the relief at this shop.