§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the case of John Callanan, late of Cork, one of the emigrants from Ireland recently landed at Buenos Ayres, who towards the end of March last called on the British Consul there and complained that his wife had been forcibly detained in a house in that city; that he (Callanan) had been denied access to her; and that, on going to the house, he had been savagely assaulted; whether complaints have reached him that the British Consul refused to take any action, and used abusive language to Callanan; and, whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the circumstances of the case?
*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir J. FERGINSON,) Manchester, N. W.I have inquired of Mr. Bridgett, H.M. Consul at Buenos Ayres, who happens to be in London, having left his post on the 1st of April. He tells me that he never heard of such a case as that described in the hon. Member's question, and that if he had he would have advised the man what to do and would not have abused him. I may add that I have seen a paragraph in a Limerick newspaper, in which the kindness of Mr. Bridgett to certain emigrants from that 1849 city to the Argentine Republic is gratefully acknowledged.
In answer to a further question by Mr. T. Healy,
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONsaid that inquiries should be made about the case.