HC Deb 23 July 1888 vol 329 cc195-6
THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in order to assist the Coroner's Jury in the case of the suicide of Dr. Ridley, late medical officer of Tullamore Prison, to come to a decision as to the state of his mind, the Irish Government will produce at the inquest any Reports made by Dr. Ridley as to the health and treatment of Mr. John Mandeville during his imprisonment at Tullamore, and any correspondence on that subject between the officials of Tullamore Prison, the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, and the Irish Prisons Board; and, whether copies of such Reports and correspondence will be laid upon the Table of the House?

MR. ANDERSON (Elgin and Nairn)

also asked, Will the Government lay upon the Table of the House the Rules in force at Tullamore Gaol at the time of the imprisonment there of the late Mr. Mandeville; during the imprisonment of Mr. Mandeville were any communications made by the officials at the gaol to the authorities in Dublin with regard to the treatment of Mr. Mandeville or his state of health; were any directions given to the authorities at the gaol on the subject; has any correspondence passed between the Government and Dr. Ridley, or any other official at the gaol; and, is there any objection to the production of this correspondence?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

I cannot undertake to make any statement in regard to the proceedings at the inquests now going on; nor can I make any statement on the other matters referred to until these inquests shall have terminated.

MR. SEXTON

inquired, whether all the Papers belonging to the suicide would be laid before the Coroner?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, he believed that the Coroner was in possession of all Dr. Ridley's papers.

MR. ANDERSON

I wish to ask, what objection the right hon. Gentle- man has to lay upon the Table of the House a copy of the Rules of Tullamore Gaol that were in force during the imprisonment of Mr. Mandeville?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, there was a Notice on the Paper in the name of some hon. Member asking that all the Prison Rules should be laid on the Table of the House, and he had not the slightest objection to doing so.

MR. ANDERSON

said, that, no doubt, there was a Notice to that effect; but the preparation of the Return would take some time. The Rules of Tullamore Gaol would be wanted at an early date, and would they at once be laid on the Table of the House?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, he did not pretend to be an authority upon the point; but, as far as he understood the matter, the Rules were the same in all prisons.

MR. ANDERSON

Then why not lay them on the Table of the House?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have already intimated my willingness to lay the Rules upon the Table of the House.

MR. P. STANHOPE (Wednesbury)

asked the right hon. Gentleman, whether his attention had been called to the menacing language used to the Coroner by the counsel for the Crown in the course of the proceedings at the inquest upon John Mandeville; whether the language of the counsel for the Crown was in pursuance of instructions received from Dublin Castle; and whether, in any case, the right hon. Gentleman would give instructions to the counsel for the Crown to observe, in future proceedings, the attitude of a respectful, responsible, public official, in accordance with recognized rule?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have no information on the subject to which the hon. Gentleman refers. I apprehend that the counsel for the Crown needs no instructions either from the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. P. Stanhope) or myself as to how he shall conduct himself at the examination.