§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether a circular was sent out to constabulary stations from the offices of divisional magistrates in November, 1888, headed "Very Secret Agrarian Crime," requesting certain particulars regarding all members of the National League and of the Land League convicted of agrarian crime since September, 1879; whether among the particulars requested in respect of such cases, were the "names and present addresses of witnesses generally, and what each can prove," and "any points of interest between League and offence"; and whether any of the information collected in consequence of this circular was placed in the hands of the solicitor for the Times newspaper?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have always refused to answer questions as to such alleged private circulars, because they must either have become known through a breach of confidence or they must have no existence.
§ MR. STUARTI suppose the right hon. Gentleman does not deny the existence of the circular.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI neither deny nor affirm it. That is the answer which I have invariably given to such questions, and which everyone who holds any office is, I think, bound to give.