§ MR. LONSDALE (Armagh, Mid.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been called to the fact that Armagh Gaol, being the prison for the counties of Monaghan, Cavan, Tyrone, as well as Armagh, insane prisoners from all those counties, on expiration of their sentences, become chargeable to the county of Armagh; and whether he will take steps to amend the law which imposes hardships upon the ratepayers of county Armagh.
§ MR. CHERRYThe fact is as stated in the first part of the Question. Under the Act, 1 and 2 Vic. cap. 27, persons who become insane while in prison are removed to the lunatic asylum of the district in which the prison is situate, and there is no power to transfer such persons on the expiration of their sentence to the asylums of the districts from which they come. It is understood that there are in all the district asylums in Ireland patients who belong primarily to other districts, and matters are therefore substantially equalised. Legislation on the subject would involve the introduction into Ireland of a law of settlement, and the Government do not at present contemplate such legislation.