§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYasked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the fol- 15 lowing statement in the "Galway Observer" of Saturday March 18th:—
On Sunday night last the chief warder, when going his rounds, found an empty pipe in the cell of Mr. Lydon, a highly respectable and independent merchant from Ballaghadereen, county Mayo. Although he explained satisfactorily how it came by being there, not for the purpose of smoking through, which he can swear on oath, he was taken next morning before the Governor, and sentenced to six days' solitary confinement, deprivations of visits, and refusals of all communications to or from friends, no matter how urgent his business. Already he is undergoing this sentence, which will not expire until Saturday next;whether he has also seen other statements in the same paper of alleged arbitrary and unjust treatment of suspects; and, whether he will order an inquiry to be made as to the truth of these allegations?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON)The same inquiry was made by the junior Member for County Galway some days ago. I have not yet received a reply to the Question which he put; and I must ask the hon. Member to postpone this Question.