§ MR. GILHOOLY (Cork, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if he is aware that a man named Eugene Sullivan, who worked on the relief works at Kilcrohane, County Cork, was dismissed from his employment by Mark Tobin, a bailiff to Mr. W. S. Bird, J.P., but was subsequently employed on promise to pay Mr. Bird, his landlord, one year's rent; whether Mr. Bird gave a letter in the following terms:—"Corporal Dixon, you may employ Eugene Sullivan"; and if he will explain how Mr. Bird was empowered to control the relief works at Kilcrohane?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe circumstances to which the hon. Member refers occurred fifteen months ago. They were brought under the notice of the Irish Government at the time, and were promptly dealt with. They are not, however, accurately described in the hon. Member's question. It is a fact that Sullivan was employed on the relief works under Tobin, who acted as ganger, and that on Mr. Bird's suggestion he was removed from the works. It is also a fact that Mr. Bird subsequently wrote a note authorising his re-employment, which had also been recommended by the Relieving Officer. He emphatically denies that anything was said about the payment of rent. Mr. Bird had no right or authority to interfere in the manner in which he did, and he expressed his regret to the Lord Chancellor, who accepted his apology. The ganger Tobin was also probably to blame, and he was superseded in that capacity 215 by a constable of the Royal Irish Constabulary.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it has not come to the knowledge of the authorities in Kilcrohane that this man, after having been dismissed because he owed rent to the magistrate, was afterwards re-employed on the magistrate's recommendation, on the understanding that he would pay a large portion of that rent out of his wages?
§ MR. BALFOURNo, Sir. I do not think there were any recommendations of that kind.