§ MR. DILLONOn behalf of the hon. Member for South Donegal I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been directed to the letters of the Bishop of Clogher and Canon M'Kenna, describing the great distress existing in the parish of Petigo, county Donegal; whether the distress has been aggravated by the issue of ejectment 1058 processes; and whether he will direct an inquiry into the state of things existing there?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURMy attention has been directed to the letter in question. As regards the alleged distress, it appears from the latest official returns that there are only 36 persons in receipt of outdoor relief in the entire Donegal Union, in which Petigo is situated, the population of the Union, according to the last Census, being 22,891. The average rate on the Union is less than 11d. in the £, and it seems to me, under the circumstances, that any isolated cases of distress can easily be provided for by the Guardians out of the resources of the rates. I have no information as to the number of ejectment notices issued in the district, but I have called for a Report on the subject as well as on the statements in the letter of Canon M'Kenna.