§ MR. FRENCHasked the Secretary for Ireland whether a Commission had been appointed to examine and report on the state of the Government prisons and convict depôts in Ireland; whether it had made any Report; and by what authority it had been appointed; further, whether such Commission had been superseded, and another Commission appointed by the Home Secretary; and whether there was any intention on the part of the Government of transferring the superintendence of these Government prisons and convict depôts from the Irish authorities to those in England?
§ SIR JOHN YOUNGsaid, a Commission had been appointed to examine and report on the state of the Government prisons and convict depôts in Ireland. It had not yet made a Report. It was appointed by the authority of the Lord Lieutenant. The next question was, whether such Commission had been superseded and another Commission appointed by the Home Secretary. The facts of the case were these:—the Lord Lieutenant, in consequence of the Act to discontinue transportation, had communicated with the Home Secretary, by whom inquiries had been made; but no fresh Commission had been appointed. With regard to the third question, whether there was any intention of transferring the superintendence of these Government prisons and convict depôts from the Irish authorities to those in England, as far as he was concerned, no such intention existed.