MR. SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If he would state to the House why the release of Ann Bradley, convicted of an attempt to murder Miss Geoghagan, was not upon the terms of a ticket of leave; who is responsible for exempting her from the precautions or conditions of a ticket of leave; and, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House Copies of all Papers relating to the release of this convict?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERIt is evident, I am afraid, that a miscarriage of justice has occurred in this case. It appears that the prisoner, who had, in 1875, been sentenced to 14 years' penal servitude, was released in 1876, in consequence of the report of the prison medical authority to the effect that she was suffering from consumption, and that her life would be endangered by further imprisonment. Unfortunately, it seems to have been a practice, under similar circumstances, to grant releases without a ticket-of-leave. This, however, has for some time ceased to be the case in Ireland, as strict directions have been given that a ticket-of-leave should be enforced in such instances, as well as in others. The general question, moreover, of the treatment of invalid prisoners has 851 been under the consideration of the Irish Government, and we are now constructing a prison sanitorium, to which invalids can be removed from ordinary gaols and convict establishments. It will, therefore, be no longer necessary, except in exceptional cases, to let criminals loose again upon society upon medical certificates, as has been done in the case of Ann Bradley and others, and which I confess has, in many instances, whether a ticket-of-leave has been granted or not, constituted a serious evil. As to Papers, though in this case I should have been very glad if I could have given them, I am sorry to find there are none which could be laid upon the Table without establishing an inconvenient precedent, as it has always been the rule to treat such documents as confidential.
MR. SULLIVANThe right hon. Gentleman has forgotten to answer the second portion of my Question. Who is responsible for exempting this woman from the precautions or conditions of a ticket-of-leave?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERThe responsibility rests on the system which has been in force, and, as I have explained, that system has since been altered.