§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the reports of the proceedings at the meeting of the Belfast Board of Guardians on the 22nd instant, 1417 from which it appears that a letter was received from the City Coroner complaining, among other things, that whereas until the 3rd April last he had received information regarding deaths in the lunatic department which enabled him to decide whether he should hold an inquest or not, this information is now refused him; that the coroner submitted a list of queries concerning the deceased to be answered by the doctor, but the doctor declined to answer these queries; and, if so, by whose directions; and that, notwithstanding the instructions of the Local Government Board, one of the Guardians stated at the meeting that he would incur the risk and responsibility of refusing to report any longer to the coroner deaths that might occur in that workhouse; and whether, considering that there were about 50 deaths out of 490 inmates in this department since the 15th of December, 1893, he will cause the best information to be forwarded to the coroner when he applies for it to the officials of the workhouse?
MR. J. MORLEYI have seen a report of the proceedings of the Guardians at their meeting held on the 22nd instant, from which it appears that the statements contained in the question of my hon. Friend are accurately set forth, and I have directed that an Inspector of the Local Government Board should proceed to Belfast to inquire how the matter stands.