HC Deb 14 March 1882 vol 267 cc879-81
MR. SEXTON (for Mr. HEALY)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the charge tinder which Mr. J. Byrne, Mr. G. Murphy, and Mr. T. O'Dempsey, of county Wexford, were arrested under the Coercion Act is one for which the greatest penalty on conviction, under the Conspiracy Act of 1875, is three months' imprisonment; whether those gentlemen have not now been five months in prison; and, whether their cases have been reconsidered?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

, in reply, said, that the charge against these prisoners was that they had endeavoured to compel others, by intimidation, not to work for certain persons, or sell to them—in fact, to prevent the exercise of their lawful rights by other people. The offence was punishable under the Whiteboy Act by imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, with or without hard labour. These persons had been in prison since the end of October, and their case had been reconsidered.

MR. GRAY

asked whether, under the Whiteboy Act, the punishment of flogging also could not be applied?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, that was so; but nobody would think of applying it.

MR. HEALY

asked if the right hon. Gentleman was aware that Lord Justice Holker had proposed the repeal of the Whiteboy Acts?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, he had no information on the subject.

MR. REDMOND

asked, If it is a fact that the suspects in Limerick Prison are not permitted to receive the "Graphic" newspaper; whether this rule exists in other prisons; and, why rules governing matters of this kind are not uniform in all prisons where suspects are detained?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

, in reply, said, that application was made by the Governor of the gaol to the Prison Board on the subject, and an order was sent down to that and the other prisons that The Graphic might be received by the prisoners. It appeared from a letter sent to him by the Prison Board that most of the complaints made in the House of Commons by Members were unknown to the Board until they were called upon to reply. If the prisoners would only write to the Board of Appeal, to any member of the Board, or to the Inspector who visited the prisons, any just cause of complaint would be at once remedied. By the General Prison Rules, Governors were obliged to see every male prisoner once, at least, in every 24 hours, and he was also always ready to receive complaints. If there were complaints, and the Governor did not examine into them, he incurred a most heavy responsibility. He was not aware that the Governor had ever refused to do so.

MR. REDMOND

Are prisoners permitted to make complaints by letter to the Prisons Board? In two eases I know that such letters when sent were never replied to.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I cannot conceive that there could be any objection to allow complaints by letter. If the hon. Member will give me the particulars of the cases he refers to I will examine into them.