*MR. M'CARTEN (Down, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the prisoner Thomas Tracey, before his removal from Belfast Gaol to Millbank, was supplied with dinners of the first quality, including beer or porter, daily, and if he was also daily supplied with a copy of the Free-man's Journal, containing the Reports of the Special Commission; whether he has recently been brought back to 361 Belfast Gaol; whether, since his refusal to swear what was required by Head Constable Preston, and since his return to Belfast Gaol, Tracey has been obliged to live on ordinary prison fare, the Police Authorities having discontinued the supply of such dinners to him; whether he will state the reason for the different treatment given to Tracey before he was brought to London as a witness, and since his return; and whether Tracey has been supplied with the Freeman's Journal during the present week, or since the examination of Richard Pigott; and, if not, why?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWith regard to the inquiry in the first paragraph, I beg to refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a similar question put by him on the 4th March. If he refers to Hansard he will find I said—
I understand that the Prison Authorities do not provide bail prisoners with food and drink of the nature indicated in the Question. The dinners supplied to Tracey at Belfast were not at the expense of the proprietor of the Times, nor had they any connection whatever with the Special Commission trial, but were provided by the Police Authorities in connection with a totally different matter. A newspaper was also supplied to the man under precisely the same circumstances.The prisoner has recently been re-transferred to Belfast Prison. As regards the third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs, from the date on which the man was removed from Belfast to London to give evidence before the Special Commission the police ceased to supply him with food or to afford him any other indulgence.