HC Deb 21 May 1900 vol 83 cc745-6
SERJEANT HEMPHILL (Tyrone, N.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to an order of the justices of Glamorgan, dated 30th April last, under which Ellen Webster, the widow of an American sailor but a native of Ireland, which country she had left many years ago, was with her three children, aged respectively eight, seven, and three years, transferred from the Cardiff Union to the union of Rathdown, in the county of Dublin, she not having acquired a settlement in England; and whether he would take steps to have the Bill for the Removal of the Poor to Ireland, which has not as yet been passed by the House of Lords, so amended as to meet the hard- ship of such a case and prevent its recurrence.

THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL, Tyrone, S.)

I am informed that Mrs. Webster was born in Ireland, and lived there until the age of eight, when her parents emigrated to America. She was married to an American in that country, and remained there till about seven months ago, when she came to Liverpool. She arrived at Cardiff only two days before her admission to the Cardiff' workhouse. I could not undertake to suggest any amendment of the Poor Removal Bill to meet such a case as this.