§ MR. W. A. MACDONALD (Queen's Co., Ossory)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland a Question of which he had given him private Notice, Whether in view of the answer which he gave yesterday, that persons who might be imprisoned under the Crimes Act would not be allowed to see their friends for three months, special care would be taken that persons so imprisoned should not seriously suffer in health; and, whether the precedent set by the late Mr. Forster would be followed, in accordance with which prisoners who had so suffered were released from prison?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The Prison Rules, under which sentences will be carried out under the Crimes Act, will be precisely identical with the Prison Rules used under other circumstances. No special system of release for prisoners 491 suffering in health will be adopted; but I will make every effort to see that no person in prison suffers in health.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)In view of the fact that prisoners are systematically starved under the ordinary Rules, will the right hon. Gentleman see that some relaxation is made?
§ [No reply.]