MR. G. W. ELLIOTasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is able to state if 1252 any person accompanied the honourable Member for Clare on the occasion of his visit to Kilmainham Prison, and what entry was made in connection with that visit in the prison books; whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table of the House a Return of the visits made to the political prisoners in Kilmainham Prison during their incarceration, with the names and dates; and, whether, in any instance, visitors have been admitted to see the prisoners without their names being recorded?
§ MR. TREVELYANI know absolutely nothing about this matter; but I have asked the hon Member for Clare whether any gentleman went with him on that occasion, and he says that he was alone.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThis is not the first time that the Government has been asked about this matter, and I recollect that when I asked a somewhat similar Question about this matter some days ago—["Order!"]—the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney General for Ireland said the Government were ignorant of everything connected with it. ["Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is entitled to ask a Question arising out of the answer given by the right hon. Gentleman, but he is not entitled to enter upon other matters.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURPerhaps the right hon. Gentleman could inform us whether any gentleman was admitted to the prison on the same day as the hon. Member for Clare went, and, if so, whether he was obliged to enter his name in the Visitors' Book?
§ MR. TREVELYANYes, Sir, I will inquire.
§ MR. O'SHEAPerhaps I may be allowed to say that nobody went to Kilmainham with me, and that I have since asked my hon. Friend the Member for the City of Cork whether anybody else went to see him on that day, and he tells me that nobody went.