§ MR. GILHOOLY (Cork, W.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether complaints have reached him that Constable Kavanagh, of Durras, at the recent election of a Guardian for the Glenlough Electoral Division of the Bantry Union, left a voting paper at the house of Timothy M'Carthy, Glenlough; whether he called for same voting paper, and, if not, why not; whether he left one voting paper each at the house of Ellen Kingston and Cornelius Brien; and, whether he returned two voting papers for each of these persons to the Returning Officer of the Bantry Union, to which their names were attached; and, if true, whether, at future elections of Guardians in the Bantry Union, the Government will see that the policemen entrusted with the distribution and collection of voting papers will act impartially?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: The constable stated that he called for the voting paper at M'Carthy's house, but it was in the possession of Patrick Arundel, one of the candidates for the election, who refused to give it up. With regard to the other part of the Question, I have already replied to that in answer to an inquiry put by the hon. Member on the 3rd instant. The Irish Government have no reason to believe that the constables did not act with impartiality.
§ MR. GILHOOLYCan the right hon. and gallant Member say how it was he returned two voting papers for these houses?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANsaid, two papers were returned; but there were grounds for believing they were forgeries.