HC Deb 08 December 1888 vol 331 cc1494-6
THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will communicate to the House the latest information in his possession with respect to the condition of Mr. Thomas Moroney; whether he will lay upon the Table copies of any Reports on the subject by the medical officer of Kilmainham Prison, or any medical man who has been specially deputed to investigate; whether the Executive intend to take the initiative, either by communication with Judge Boyd, or otherwise, with a view to the release of Mr. Moroney; and, whether the prison records are available for the purpose of an application for such re lease?

THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN) (Dublin University)

(who replied) reminded the hon. Gentleman that his right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary for Ireland had promised to give a full answer to this Question on Monday. Perhaps the hon. Member would put it down on the Paper for Monday.

MR. SEXTON

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that I have asked this Question twice already?

MR. MADDEN

I am aware that on the last occasion on which the hon. Member put the Question on the Paper the Chief Secretary for Ireland stated that he would give full information on Monday.

MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)

said, he had given private Notice of a Question on this subject to the Chief Secretary, which was whether, in view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman had said that Judge Boyd would be willing to entertain an application from any Member of that House for the release of Mr. Thomas Moroney, permission would be given to any such Member of the House to inspect such extracts from the Medical Report as referred to the state of health of Thomas Moroney during the last three months as they might consider material for the purpose of any application to Judge Boyd on the ground of ill-health? He desired to make such an application himself; and he therefore wished to know whether he would be permitted to inspect those extracts?

MR. MADDEN

I am not in a position to promise information extending over the past three months; but I am in a position to say this—that every possible facility and every available information will be given to any person who wishes to obtain the necessary materials for making an application to Judge Boyd founded on the state of Thomas Moroney's health.

MR. SEXTON

Will the Executive themselves not take the initiative in making an application, seeing that the information is already in their hands?

MR. MADDEN

replied, that the hon. Gentleman would see that that was a totally different Question from the question whether the Government were prepared to give information to any individual Member of the House who desired to make any application. He was not prepared to give a decided and final answer to the question now; but his right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary would give a full answer to the Question on Monday.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR)(who had just entered the House) (Manchester, E.)

said, he thought it would be sufficient if the Government supplied, as they were quite prepared to do, any information in their power to any hon. Gentleman who desired to bring this question before Judge Boyd. The hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sexton) desired further to know whether copies of the recent confidential Reports of the medical officer of Kilmainham Prison would be laid upon the Table of the House. That would be unusual, and he was afraid he could not agree to the hon. Member's request.

MR. BRADLAUGH

repeated to the Chief Secretary the Question which he had already put to the Solicitor General for Ireland, adding that he knew that three months was a long time to go back, but that he thought the circumstances justified the request.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Everything material to the case I shall be very glad to supply to the hon. Member.

MR. SEXTON

said, he would repeat the Question on Monday.