§ MR. SHAW LEFEVRE (Bradford, Central)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the three communications from the Prisons Board in Dublin to the authorities of Tullamore Gaol with respect to the treatment of Mr. Mandeville, which the Governor of the gaol refused to produce at the recent inquest?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)I find that all the prison papers are away from Dublin at the place where the inquest on Dr. Ridley's body is being carried on. I have attempted by telegraph to find out some particulars about the matter. As far as I can gather from the telegraph, the instructions in question were of the barest possible kind. They were simply that the Governor should obey the Prison Rules, subject to the opinion of the doctor.
§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether some of the instructions were 1226 not conveyed orally by the authority of the Prisons Board?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAs I understand the Question of the right hon. Gentleman, it refers to three communications, which, he states, the Governor refused to produce on the ground that they were privileged documents. I do not know whether the right hon. Gentleman has accurately quoted the evidence given at the inquest, or whether he has means of accurately quoting it; but I assume there were three instructions in writing which the Governor refused to produce. The Government could not produce verbal instructions.
§ MR. CLANCYWill the right hon. Gentleman have the documents produced?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThat is precisely the Question I answered the right hon. Gentleman just now.