§ MR. CAVErose to ask the Home Secretary a Question of which, he had given private notice. About a month ago he moved for a Return respecting the discharges from convict prisons in England and Ireland. On showing the terms of the Motion to the Under Secretary for the Home Department, he was told that the Secretary of State wished all such Motions postponed till after the appearance of the Report of the Royal Commission on Transportation and Convict Discipline, which would contain all the information desired, and would be out very shortly. He, of course, acquiesced. Time went on, no Report appeared; and a few days ago he again made inquiries of the Under Secretary with respect to the Report, and was told that it was in the printer's hands, and was almost hourly expected. He saw on the Notice Paper that morning a Motion by the hon. Member for Roscommon 1385 (Colonel French) for a Return identical with the one which he was requested by the Secretary of State to postpone. He therefore begged to ask, Whether it wag intended to give the information moved for by the hon. Member as an unopposed Return; and, if so, whether the Secretary of State could explain why a similar Return asked for by himself a month ago had been refused?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, that he had not refused the information; he had only suggested, through his hon. Friend the Under Secretary, that it would be better to postpone the Motion for the Return until it was seen whether the information was contained in the Report of the Com mission. It was only that morning that he had seen the Notice of the hon. Member for Roscommon, and he could not say whether he should grant the Return until he had communicated with some Members of the Commission, and ascertained whether the information would be contained in the Appendix to their Report, which, though not yet presented, had been agreed to.
§ MR. CAVEasked whether the right hon. Baronet made the same inquiries when he asked for the Return.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, that at that time the Commission was sitting and taking evidence. The evidence was now complete.