HC Deb 17 March 1882 vol 267 cc1144-5
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Irish Prisons Board, in their statement that the charges made with reference to prison treatment of suspects are generally untrue or exaggerated, intend to apply either of those terms to any part of the two statements on the subject of prison treatment made by the Member for Sligo; and, if so, whether the Government will direct an investigation, on oath or otherwise, into the charges made by the Member for Sligo on the basis of his personal experience?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

The hon. Member has put two Questions to me. In reply to the first, I have to say that the statement I made was with reference to the charges made by the hon. Member two or three days ago to the House. He also made a charge in the course of the debate upon the Address; and in relation to that, I must refer to the letter read by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General for Ireland on the 16th of February last, which, to my mind, was a complete answer to that charge, and did show that there had, at least, been exaggeration in the statements made. With regard to the second Question, my reply is that undoubtedly, in that case, the hon. Member made very serious charges, for it is a very serious matter for a man in my position to be charged with intentional cruelty. I have brought the matter very closely before the Board, and I shall request them to write a letter on the subject which may be laid upon the Table of the House. When that letter is laid upon the Table of the House, I shall leave the House to decide whether any further step should be taken. I shall make that request to the Board upon the supposition that the hon. Member abides by the charges as they were reported in The Freeman's Journal. If the hon. Member wishes to make any alteration in the character or form of the charges, he had better make them by letter.

MR. SEXTON

said, he should eagerly await the production of the letters and an investigation. In regard to the former letter of Captain Barlow, it dealt with only one charge, and evaded that one charge by equivocation.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

I understood the hon. Member to say he abides by the charges he made as reported in The Freeman's Journal?

MR. SEXTON

So far as I can remember, I do. I will re-read the report; and if it is inaccurate I will communicate with the right hon. Gentleman.