Volunteer Forces
15.
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on whose instructions or with whose permission, Constable Murray, stationed at Rathowen, Westmeath, shouts offensively at Irish Volunteers, and took off his belt to strike one of them at Multyfarnham on the 8th inst., and again at Rathowen later on the same day; whether any account he has given of this conduct has been compared with an independent statement of the facts; and what steps are being taken to prevent the provocative conduct complained of?
I am informed that there is no foundation for the allegations contained in the question.
May I ask by whom the right hon. Gentleman is informed?
I made careful inquiries into the matter and I have been informed.
22.
asked if a circular has been issued giving instructions to county police inspectors to collect information regarding the Irish Volunteers and the Ulster Volunteers; and, if so, what action is proposed to be taken when the particulars asked for are obtained?
It is the duty of the responsible police authorities to keep themselves informed of all movements in the country which may possibly affect the public peace. With this object, information has been sought by the Inspector-General as regards both the Irish and Ulster Volunteers. Any orders issued with this object are necessarily of a confidential nature.
Will the right hon. Gentleman reply to the last part of my question?
No, Sir. Any action that may be taken will be taken without communication with the hon. Member.
Is the House going to be informed afterwards of what is going to be done in the matter?
No, Sir.
55.
asked the Secretary of State for War the names of the military stations in Ireland outside Ulster; the number of troops, respectively, in charge of each; and whether they are efficiently protected against a raid by Nationalist Volunteers?
As regards the first two branches of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the Army List. As regards the last branch, I am informed that efficient protection is available for all likely contingencies.
Land Purchase (Ireland)
16.
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland the present position of the negotiations for the purchase of the estate of Major Sweetman, Lamberton, Queen's County; and what steps have been taken up to the present relative to the same?
The Estates Commissioners furnished the owner with their esti- mate of price for certain lands in his occupation. The owner could not see his way to accept the Commissioners' estimate, and they do not propose to take any further action in the matter.
17.
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many evicted tenants, or representatives of evicted tenants, received holdings on the Thompson estate, Queen's County; and if the Estates Commissioners will reconsider the question of giving a grant to Elizabeth M'Grath for the purchase of live stock and put her in a position to work the holding to the best advantage?
The Estates Commissioners have provided sixteen evicted tenants, or the representatives of evicted tenants, with holdings on the estate referred to. The reply to the concluding part of the question is in the negative.
Why have the Estates Commissioners or the inspectors of the Commissioners, differentiated between the case of Mrs. McGrath and others?
They have to consider each case upon its own merits, and there must always be some differentiation.
18.
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that Mrs. Anne Fitzpatrick, Ballintaggart, Roscrea, who was evicted from the Owen's estate, Garryduff, Clough, Queen's County, was promised a farm by the Estates Commissioners; and seeing that a farm was pointed out to her on the Thompson estate, Kilcoke, by the late Inspector Byrne, on the 16th February last, which she accepted, and as this farm has since been handed over to another tenant from the county Wicklow, can he say what steps the Commissioners propose taking to provide Mrs. Fitzpatrick with a farm instead?
The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. The Estates Commissioners inform me that Mrs. Anne Fitzpatrick had an interview in March last with their inspector, the late Mr. P. J. Byrne, and stated to him that her father, James Clear, had been evicted about thirty-five years ago from a holding of about sixteen acres on the Owen's estate, Queen's County. As no application for reinstatement was received from her before the date specified in the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, she does not come within the class of evicted tenants for whom the Commissioners have power to provide holdings, and they do not therefore propose to take any action with reference to her case.
Labourers' Cottages (Ireland)
19.
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if the Local Government Board will now proceed to hold the local inquiries into the thirty schemes at present lodged, so that the councils may be in a position to proceed with the immediate erection of cottages when the extra million is available?
Inquiries are being ordered, having regard to the needs of the different districts in the matter of house accommodation for agricultural labourers, into as many of these schemes as can be financed out of the unissued balance of the fund already provided by Parliament. This will occupy the time of the inspectors for some period to come, apart altogether from the question of the additional funds promised by Government.
Criminal Assault Charges (Dublin)
20.
asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that in a case tried in Dublin recently against a man named Thomas Madden, for criminal assault on a child of seven years of age, the prisoner was remanded to the quarter sessions, but subsequently was released, the Crown having entered a nolle prosequi on the ground that the child was too young to testify; whether he is aware that at the same sessions a man was convicted for a criminal assault on a child aged six years; whether he can state the reason for this differential treatment; and whether the fact that the child in the first case was the daughter of a workman, whereas in the second case the father was an employer, had any influence in the matter?
In the first case to which the hon. Member refers the statement of the child, who was not quite seven years of age, was uncorroborated, and on the medical evidence counsel for the Crown did not consider it safe to proceed with the case further. In the second case the evidence against the accused person was clear and conclusive, the sworn testimony of the child, who was eight years of age, being corroborated by an eye witness of the occurrence. There is no foundation for the statement in the last part of the question.
Dwelling Houses, Ireland (Building Loans)
23.
asked whether the Congested Districts Board have any power to advance loans for building dwelling houses outside the statutory congested areas to small farmers and cottiers whose valuation is under Ā£7 annually; and whether the Irish Board of Works possesses any records of loans advanced for this purpose to persons of a similar valuation?
The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.
24.
asked how many cottages still remain unbuilt out of the last scheme of cottages promoted by the Macroom rural district council; whether any response was made to the requests addressed by the Local Government Board to this district council on two different occasions that an effort should be made to procure contractors to complete the building of cottages sanctioned in the scheme; how many cottages were erected as a result of these representations; and, if a considerable number still remain unbuilt, will the Local Government Board exercise the powers vested in them under the Labourers Acts for dealing with recalcitrant councils?
On the 31st March last, the latest date to which information is available, 110 cottages were built, 7 were in course of erection, and 120 had not yet been commenced. The council represent that they have done all they could to obtain contractors and in spite of the continued advertisements issued by them the total number of cottages completed during the past 12 months has been only 13. This council have already provided 628 cottages in their district, and it would appear that, instead of being recalcitrant as suggested by the hon. Member, they seem to be disposed to put the Labourers Acts very liberally into operation.
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the labourers have been waiting for these cottages for a period of seven years, and will some pressure be put upon the council concerned in this matter?
I will communicate with the council again.
Indoor And Outdoor Relief (Ireland)
25.
asked what was the number of indoor and outdoor paupers in Ireland on the 1st January, 1909; can the Local Government Board (Ireland) state if these numbers have been reduced by the Old Age Pensions Act; and what are the numbers at present?
The numbers of paupers in workhouses and on outdoor relief on the 2nd January, 1909, were 44,035 and 56,501, respectively. The numbers in workhouses and on outdoor relief on the 4th instant, the latest date for which the information is available, were 32,554 and 37,792, respectively. The reduction in the numbers is doubtless largely due to the Old Age Pensions Acts.
Burao (Camel Corps)
27.
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, at the present, time, there are any camel corps or Indian Regulars stationed at Burao; what is the strength of the friendlies supporting the Sheik of Burao; and whether the fort is at present menaced?
There are no Government troops at Burao, and I am not in possession of details regarding the strength of the friendlies in the neighbourhood. So far as I am aware the place is not at present menaced.
Anglo-American Exhibition (American Girls In Rotten Row)
28.
asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether a party of American girls, now performing at the Anglo-American Exhibition, who were riding viĆ¢ Rotten Row to pay a visit by invitation at the Royal Mews on Tuesday last, were turned out of Hyde Park; and, if so, why was this indignity put upon them?
The First Commissioner has read a report from the police, and considers that the constable who spoke to these riders acted in a perfectly proper manner. The riders were not, as a matter of fact, turned out of the park.
Did they continue in the park? Are we to understand that the police did not turn them out of the park?
I understand they told the police constable that they were about to leave, and they did so.
Is the hon. Member aware that a Member of this House has a photograph of these ladies, and will the hon. Member ask to see it?
Yes.
Why did the police constable speak to the ladies at all?
I understand that the reason is he imagined these riders were infringing one of the by-laws, which is to the effect that nobody must ride in the park for the purpose of advertisement.
Is it true that they were riding in the park for the purpose of advertisement?
That must be the true reason, because they rode both ways, and not in the direction of the Royal Mews.
Regent's Canal (Drowning Cases)
29.
asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East whether his attention has been drawn to the long series of drowning fatalities amongst children bathing in the Regent's Canal; and whether he will take the most efficient step to put a stop to this by securing for the children of that district facilities for bathing in Regent's Park?
The First Commissioner is aware of the regrettable fatalities referred to, and such steps as are practicable are being taken to deal with the matter. The suggestion of my hon. Friend is, however, one which cannot be adopted, as the lake is not suitable for bathing.