HC Deb 21 July 1881 vol 263 cc1459-61
SIR WILLIAM PALLISER

asked the honourable Member for the County of Cork, Whether any entry exists upon the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Bessborough Commission to show that the rebutting statements made in writing by the Irish landlords, and contained in Appendix (C), had been officially considered by the Commissioners at any of their sittings prior to the 4th of January, when the Report of the Commissioners was signed; and, whether the statement made in Clause 4 of the Report on the 4th January, that— The communications received from those who were unable or did not desire to attend are also printed in their proper place (C), was correct at the time it was made?

MR. SHAW

Sir, I am afraid it is not possible for me to gratify entirely the curiosity of the hon. Baronet. The Minutes of the proceedings of the Bessborough Commission are not in my possession; but I presume they are in the possession of the Chairman or Secretary of the Commission. I have not the slightest doubt that if the hon. Baronet writes to either of these gentlemen he will get the information he wants, if it is for any legitimate purpose. As to the second Question, whether the statements made in Clause 4 of the Report of the 4th January were printed at the time of the second Report, I do not suppose they were printed at that time. The general rule is that the first volume of a Report is printed before the second or third, and that happened in this case.

SIR WILLIAM PALLISER

asked the honourable Member for the County of Cork, Whether the Report of Lord Bessborough's Commission was altered after the 4th of January last, the date on which it was signed, in consequence of the study by the Commission of the rebutting evidence subsequent to that date; and, if so, what alterations were introduced; and, whether he will supply the dates of the "Statements in reply to or in explanation of evidence," as well as the dates at which those statements were received back from the printers?

MR. SHAW

Sir, the Report was not altered in any very substantial particular after the date referred to by the hon. Member; and I may say also that if the Commissioners met now, after six months' study of the evidence, I am certain it would not be altered. The Report of the Commissioners, I believe, was fully justified on evidence of an independent character, quite independent of any subsequent evidence. Some gentlemen think, when they say the evi- dence was rebutted, that that is quite enough; but I have had an immense number of cases brought under my notice where the rebutting evidence was completely rebutted, and therefore the original evidence was not materially affected by anything said afterwards. As to the last Question, whether I can supply the dates of the statements in reply to or in explanation of the evidence, I am informed that these statements were sent in letters without any dates whatever, and they were sent to the printer and very likely destroyed.