§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, on the 13th ultimo, after visiting the house of Mrs. Mary M'Gee, of Lough Keel, Gweedore, a widow, over 80 years of age, Sergeant Daly, of the Irish Constabulary, telegraphed to the relieving officer of the district, with the result that the relieving officer visited the woman, and the Dunfanaghy Guardians granted her a weekly allowance of Indian meal for two weeks only; whether he is aware that the Guardians, on Saturday, the 24th ultimo, 1371 refused to grant further relief to Mrs. M'Gee; that when the weekly allowance was applied for on Tuesday, the 27th ultimo, it was refused; and that Mrs. M'Gee died on the following day, Wednesday, the 28th, for want of sufficient food; whether he is aware that three days after her death the relieving officer wrote to the shopkeeper who supplied meal for the orders of the Guardians, saying—
I beg to say that I was instructed by the Board of Guardians last Saturday [the 24th] to go over some day this week, and to make more inquiry about the means of support of Mary M'Gee before they would give her more outdoor relief; but as I did not get going, you better please give her 2 stone more I. meal this week, until I get going over;whether the parish priest requested Sergeant Daly to take steps to secure the holding of an inquest; and will he explain why there has been no inquest in the case?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am informed that there is no ground for the suggestion that this old woman died from want of sufficient food. She was old; she was delicate; she had meal, a little money, and apparently some poultry, at the time of her death. The Rev. James M'Fadden did inquire whether it was intended to hold an inquest. Sergeant Daly replied that he had been to the house where the woman had died, and made an inquiry from her son and daughter, and that there was no complaint that the woman had died from want of food. The death was neither sudden nor suspicious, and there was nothing to suggest any necessity for an inquest.
§ MR. SEXTONI beg to give notice that I will call attention to this case.