§ MR. KENNEDY (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, on the 13th January last, a man named John Cruise, aged 42 years, was admitted to the Celbridge Union Workhouse, having been transferred under warrant from Blackburn Union, England; that this man Cruise, having applied to the Blackburn Union for relief, was admitted, and on the fourth day after his admission was hurried before the Justices, and a warrant of removal obtained without any evidence as to where he was horn beyond a statement of his that he had heard from his mother of his parents having been natives of Roscommon, and of having been taken to England when only 10 mouths old; and that ho was also told he was born at Maynooth in the Celbridge Union whilst his father was temporarily employed there, but refused to swear he was Irish born, and demanded his discharge previous to his being taken before the Justices, but was refused; and whether this man can now be returned to the country which has reaped the benefit of his life's labour; if not, whether the Government will take steps in the coming Session to alter a law which permits such removal to take place into Ireland whilst Ireland has no such power with regard to the removal of English and Scotch paupers in Ireland?
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY, Newcastle-upon-Tyne)It appears that the Justices of Blackburn issued a warrant for the removal to Ireland of the man referred to, on his sworn evidence, and that of his mother, to the effect that ho was born in the parish of Maynooth, in the Celbridge Union, in or about the year 1851. It further seemed that he did not intimate that he was willing to take his discharge until 597 a copy of the warrant was served on him. My hon. Friend, in his question, refers to this country reaping the benefit of this man's labour. The man is now, as I am told, 42 years old, and of these 42 years he has passed 27 years in undergoing sentences of penal servitude at the cost of the English taxpayers. With regard to the rest of the question, I can only refer the hon. Member to the opinion I expressed yesterday, and say that I have directed a Bill to be framed to remedy this point.