§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state on what date the Local Government Board inspector last visited the Bawnboy district, in which distress exists, in county Cavan; what length of time did the inspector spend in the locality; how many visitations did the inspector make; what are the names and valuations of the parties called on; what route did the inspector follow; and will this whole matter be immediately reviewed.
MR. BRYCEIn the hon. Member's previous Question of 6th November†he referred to a memorial which had been sent to me, asking for the institution of relief works upon the ground that the potato crop had been a complete failure. The memorial purported to be signed by a large number of ratepayers in the Bawnboy and Ballyconnell districts. The Local Government Board's inspector visited the Bawnboy district on 14th November for the purpose of making inquiries concerning this memorial. The inspector interviewed some of the well to-do farmers whose names were attached to the memorial, and they denied all knowledge of it. He did not keep a record of the exact time occupied, or of the number of visits he paid, or of the names of those visited. He satisfied himself, however, that the memorial did hot issue from the persons whose names were appended to it. All the signatures were in the same handwriting. I have already stated that though the potato crop in Longford is somewhat under the average, the Local Government Board have not found reason to fear that the condition of the people will be seriously
†See (4) Debates, clxiv., 344.370 affected by it. They add that since the famine of 1847 there has never been acute distress in either the Bawnboy or the Ballyconnell electoral division.
§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDYDid an inspection take place?
§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDYThen why did not the inspector think it worth while to visit the gentlemen who called attention to this matter in the first instance?