MR. MAC NEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will give the date of the Medical Report which has been received respecting Mr. Conybeare's health; whether it made any, and what, reference to the repeated complaints made by Mr. Conybeare as to the rheumatic affection from which he is suffering, or to the complaints made by Mr. Conybeare respecting the weakness of and pain in his eyes, which he attributes to the whitewashed walls of his cell; whether, inasmuch as Mr. Conybeare complains of suffering constant pain, sometimes so severe as to entirely cripple him and prevent him from walking, he will have further and fuller Reports sent as to Mr. Conybeare's condition; whether it is the fact that on Monday last Mr. Conybeare could get only half an hour's exercise, owing to the wet weather, and on Tuesday he and all other prisoners were confined to their cells the whole day, in consequence of the rain; whether, in view of these facts, he will reconsider his opinion that no sheltered exercise ground is needed; and, whether there is any other prison in England or Ireland in which first-class misdemeanants are confined to one small cell similar to that which Mr. Conybeare is compelled to occupy?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe General Prisons Board state that the particular Medical Report as to Mr. Conybeare's health, to which I presume the hon. Member alludes, is dated the 25th of July. This report stated that Mr. Conybeare had a slight attack of lumbago, and one occasion had a slight pain in his shoulder. The Report made no reference to any alleged complaint by Mr. Conybeare respecting his eyesight or the colour of the cell walls. As regards the allegation in the third paragraph, it is stated in a further Report received from the medical officer on Saturday last, that Mr. Conybeare is in good health, that the only thing he has complained to the medical officer of is chronic lumbago, and that in all other respects his bodily health is satisfactory. The Governor of the prison reports that on the previous Monday Mr. Conybeare got not half an hour's exercise, as is alleged in this question, but one hour's exercise. He would 1129 not take his afternoon's exercise owing to the inclemency of the weather. On the following day he and the other prisoners, with two exceptions, were prevented from taking exercise in consequence of the rain. The Prisons Board adhere to their opinion that the strongest objection exists to the suggested erection of sheds in prison exercise yards. The Board state that the rule as to first-class misdemeanants, only requires that a "room or cell" shall be provided for such prisoners, and that there are several prisons in Ireland in which only cells are available for the purpose.
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)Is it not the fact that the statute secures to every prisoner a right to two hours' daily exercise in the open air? Seeing the large sums of money annually voted for the repair and maintenance of prisons, will not the right hon. Gentleman instruct the Prisons Board to have sheds erected for daily exercise in inclement weather so that the prisoners may be enabled to keep themselves in health?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI can add nothing to what I stated yesterday—namely, that I will make inquiry as to what the practice is in England. In face of the strong objection of the Prisons Board I can make no promise.
§ MR. W. MACDONALD (Queen's County, Ossory)Cannot an order be given for the removal of Mr. Conybeare from a prison which is not in a proper sanitary condition, and in which there is no cell fit for a first-class misdemeanant?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Member assumes two things—first, that the prison is in an insanitary condition: and, next, that it contains no cell fit for the imprisonment of a first-class misdemeanant. The evidence before me does not support either of those assumptions.
§ DR. KENNY (Cork, S.)Is it not the fact that the cell occupied by Mr. Conybeare is placed in such a position that it is directly in a draught, and so situated as to make it absolutely necessary that the window of the cell should be kept constantly open, so that the hon. Member has the alternatives of getting rheumatism or of being asphyxiated at night? Will the right hon. Gentleman give directions that Mr. 1130 Conybeare shall be removed to a cell which is in a proper condition, and not sent out of prison at the end of his sentence a complete wreck?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no information in regard to the facts mentioned by the hon. Member, but we are continually watching all matters concerning the health of prisoners.
§ DR. KENNYIs that a reason why no action should be taken when important facts are brought under the notice of the right hon. Gentleman?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe mere fact that the hon. Member alleges certain facts does not conclusively prove that they are facts.