§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, on the occasion of his recent visit to Mr. Dillon in Dundalk Gaol, Dr. Barr refused to give his name when asked to do so; whether he acted similarly when he visited and medically examined Mr. William O'Brien in Tullamore Gaol; and, for what reason he thus concealed his identity?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The General Prisons Board inform me that Dr. Barr reports that on his visit to the Irish prisons he gave his name to everyone who had any right to know it, and it appeared in the books of all the hotels at which he stayed. The ground on which he refused to give his name in the instances referred to was, he states, that it is not customary for anyone inspecting prisons to give his name to prisoners; and he failed to see that any one prisoner had more right in that respect than other.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYThe right hon. Gentleman has not referred to the second case. Does his answer apply to both?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not know about that; but I should think it does.
§ THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)asked whether, in view of the fact that the Coroner's Jury who had inquired into the death of Mr. Mandeville—a jury composed of persons of various political opinions—had unanimously found that Dr. Barr, in his sworn testimony, had cast foul as persions on the other doctors engaged in the case, he would consider the propriety of the future employment of Dr. Barr by the Government?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI believe Dr. Barr is a most admirable doctor and a most excellent prison official—[An hon. MEMBER: For you.]—and nothing that occurred at the inquest has in the least shaken my belief.
§ DR. FOX (King's Co., Tullamore)Was Dr. Barr selected by the Government to visit political prisoners in Ireland on account of his supposed skill in dealing with malingerers in Kirkdale Prison?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURDr. Barr was not selected by myself, but by the English Prison Authorities, on my request to them to send one of their most competent officials.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman, having regard to the fact that this gentleman visited Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Dillon in quite an exceptional capacity, how could they be expected to submit to a medical examination when they had no knowledge that he was a doctor at all?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot answer that Question, beyond saying that Dr. Barr did not recognize the right of the prisoner to ask his name.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYThat is not the point of my Question. What I wish to draw the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to is that this visit was quite of an exceptional character; and I ask him how any prisoner could be expected to submit himself to an examination by a man he did not know was a doctor at all?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am not quite sure that I have caught the drift of the hon. Gentleman's Question; but I may remind the hon. Gentleman that it is not customary, either in England or in Ireland, to give testimonials to a prisoner as to the merits of the doctor who is to examine him.
§ MR. SEXTONAre the House and the country to understand that the Government will do nothing to test the 748 solemn finding of the Coroner's Jury, upon their oath, with regard to the veracity of Dr. Barr on his oath? And if they will not do anything in that direction, I wish to ask from what Vote in the Estimates the money will come with which Dr. Barr is to be paid?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI should be extremely glad if there could be an inquiry by which the whole truth of this matter should be investigated to the fullest extent, and brought in the most prominent manner before the English people. So far as I am concerned, no effort will be wanting to make the truth known.