§ MR. TOTTENHAMasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is the case that Mr. Gallagher, the sub-editor of the "Free-man's Journal," was some time since appointed the official reporter of the Land Commission Court, and that, owing to his being unable to write shorthand, he has deputed the discharge of his duties to Mr. Ryan; whether Mr. Ryan is not one of the permanent staff of the reporters of the "Freeman's Journal," and engaged in his duties as such when not in attendance on the Court of Appeal of the Land Commission; whether Mr. Ryan, when acting as official reporter at the hearing of appeals before the Land Commissioners Court, sits beside the registrar, and has free access to all the files and papers connected with the several appeal cases; and, whether Mr. Ryan supplied the writer of a letter signed "One of the victimised tenants," which appeared in the "Freeman's Journal" of the 11th of May, with the statistics and statements contained in that letter, and which could not possibly have been in the possession of the writer, unless furnished by an official having access to the files of the Court?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I have received a report from the Land Commissioners to the following effect. Mr. Gallagher was not appointed official reporter of the Land Commission Court, but is 466 generally requested by the Land Commissioners to have shorthand notes taken in appeal and other cases. He is a shorthand writer; but, not being able personally to attend the sittings of the Court, he is generally represented by Mr. Ryan, who is a member of the staff of The Freeman's Journal, of which Mr. Gallagher is sub-editor. When taking notes for the Land Commission, Mr. Ryan occupies a place on the same seat with the Registrar of the Court, but he has not free access to the files and papers connected with the cases, nor any special facilities whatever to become acquainted with the Court documents. Mr. Ryan has informed the Land Commissioners that he knows nothing of the writer of the letter signed "A Victimized Tenant" referred to in the Question, and that he did not, directly or indirectly, supply any person with the statements and statistics contained in that letter.
§ VISCOUNT GALWAYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. Ryan, who is discharging the duty of official reporter of the Land Commission Court, was at any time a member of the executive council of the Land League, or otherwise connected therewith; and, whether it is the case that at several banquets in the city of Dublin, when attending in his capacity as reporter for the "Freeman's Journal," Mr. Ryan remained seated when the health of Her Majesty the Queen was being drunk, and refused to drink the same?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I have made inquiry on this subject, and find that Mr. Ryan was not a member of the Executive Council of the Land League, and that he is not known to have manifested extreme political opinions in any prominent or ostentatious way. The noble Lord, perhaps, will form his own judgment; but I do not think that this Question could be more definitely answered without personal inquiry of Mr. Ryan, and that is a course which I do not think it would be well to take.