HC Deb 09 November 1882 vol 274 cc1098-100
MR. GIBSON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the sole reason of the Irish Government for postponing the settlement of Dr. Wheeler's claim for attending Mr. Shean Carter is the hope that he may recover the same from. Mr. Carter out of the amount (if any) that may be awarded to him under the Act of last Session; when said application of Mr. Carter is expected to be disposed of; whether the Government have apprised Mr. Carter what they conceive to be his liability to Dr. Wheeler; and, is there any objection to produce the Correspondence between Dr. Wheeler and the Irish Government?

MR. TREVELYAN

The consideration of Dr. Wheeler's claim to be paid out of the public funds for his attendance on Mr. Carter has been postponed, pending Mr. Carter's application for compensation under the 19th section of the Prevention of Crime Act, as Mr. Carter may, as the result of it, be in a position to pay Dr. Wheeler a reasonable sum for his attendence. Mr. Carter's application will, it is expected, be heard early in December. The Government have apprised Mr. Carter, through his solicitors, of what they consider to be their position towards Dr. Wheeler in the matter. [Mr. GIBSON: What is that?] It is a very pecnliar one. If the right hon. and learned Member wishes to move for the Correspondence, he can have it. As regards Dr. Wheeler's claim, the matter in question was arranged by the late Mr. Burke. I prefer to read the Minute which is on record—namely; that of Mr. Hamilton, who was empowered by Mr. Burke to communicate with Surgeon Wheeler. He says— I did not find Surgeon Wheeler at home, but he called on the 18th of March at the Castle, and Mr. Burke authorised me to inform him that if Mr. Carter is unable to pay your fees for attendance on him in consequence of his having been fired at and dangerously wounded on the 13th instant, he shall submit your claim for such attendance to the Government, and it will receive every consideration. That is the only evidence on record of what passed. There is no Minute that governs this question; and all one can say is that Mr. Burke, who at that time was working 11 hours a-day every day in the week, was occasionally obliged, no doubt, to transact some important business without due official safeguards. The recollection of the gentleman in the office is exactly that of Mr. Hamilton, that the assistance from the public funds was entirely dependent on the fact that Mr. Carter was unable to pay. Nor was there any definite sum mentioned, nor anything to show that Mr. Burke in the least contemplated these very large charges.

MR. GIBSON

said, as the right hon. Gentleman had not answered his Question in detail or categorically, he was obliged to ask him if on each occasion Dr. Wheeler did not report to the Government that he visited Mr. Carter, and the result of his visit, and was it not the fact that the Government on no one single occasion took exception to Dr. Wheeler's continued attendance on Mr. Carter, and that Mr. Carter distinctly apprised the Government within the last week that Mr. Carter's whole income, derived from rent not very well paid, to maintain his wife and children and himself was only £200 a-year; and whether the postponement of the settlement of Dr. Wheeler's claim was owing to the hope that he might recover the same from Mr. Carter out of the amount that might be awarded to him under the Act of last Session.

MR. TREVELYAN

said, those were Questions of which the right hon. and learned Gentleman should give Notice. All he could say now was that the offer of Mr. Burke to assist Mr. Carter in paying Surgeon Wheeler's account depended entirely upon whether Mr. Carter was able to pay or not.

MR. GIBSON

Is it a fact that the Government send down leading Dublin surgeons on their own responsibility, and refuse to pay them unless they first send in an application to the person attended?

MR. TREVELYAN

That Question is, in fact, a statement. The only evidence we hare on the point is that Mr. Hamilton says Mr. Burke told him to inform Dr. Wheeler that if Mr. Carter was unable to pay him (Dr. Wheeler) for his attendance the Government would pay him. If Mr. Carter obtained compensation under the Act, that would enable him to pay Dr. Wheeler a reasonable sum. The Government conceive that Mr. Burke did not bind them to anything.

MR. GIBSON

Then, am I to understand that the Government repudiate the engagement of Mr. Burke?

MR. TREVELYAN

On the contrary, they intend to fulfil exactly the representation made by him.