§ MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on what ground a telegram, directed to the honourable Member for South Donegal to the House of Commons last Monday, by Father M'Fadden, from Derry Gaol, was forwarded by the Governor of Derry Gaol, not to the honourable Member, but to Dublin Castle, where it has been detained; whether he is aware that in the telegram Father M'Fadden asserts that he and the Gweedore prisoners had been remanded eight times and were remanded for the ninth time the following day, and not three times, as has been stated; and on whose authority was a telegram, addressed by an unconvicted prisoner to a member of this House, intercepted without the knowledge or sanction of the Chief Secretary?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI understand that it is not the practice in Ireland or in England to forward vituperative telegrams or letters. In the telegram there were statements made to the effect that whereas the Chief Secretary had said he believed there were three or four remands, there had, as a matter of fact, been nine on the date of the telegram. The Prisons Board acted on the authority vested in them by Parliament.
MR. MAC NEILLI will ask the permission of the House to read a telegram which has been sent to me ["Order"]. Then I will ask the Chief Secretary if this is a correct copy of the telegram:—
To Mr. MacNeill, M.P., House of Commons. It is simply shocking to hear Mr. Balfour reply on Friday night to Mr. MacNeill and Mr. Wodehouse, that myself and others, charged with complicity in the death of Inspector 1240 Martin, had only been three or four times remanded. Now, as a matter of fact, last Saturday (Saturday week) I was lodged in Derry Gaol for the ninth time since my arrest on the 29th of January, three from Gweedore, one from Lifford and fire from Letterkenny.Then follow some words which I will not read. The telegram concludes:—The above are the real facts, and I challenge Balfour to contradict them. Signed, James M'Fadden, parish priest.Again, I ask the right hon. Gentleman what authority the Irish Executive have to suppress telegrams to gentlemen acting in a public capacity?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAs far as I am aware, the Prisons Board of Ireland have the same rights as the Prisons Board of England, and they are exercised in the same way. In regard to the telegram which has been quoted by the hon. Member, it is not my duty to say whether it should have been forwarded or not. The telegram is not before me, and I cannot say, judging from the internal evidence, whether it is a correct copy or not.
§ MR. SEXTONI should like to inquire from the right hon. Gentleman whether, when he makes a statement in this House affecting a prisoner, and that prisoner telegraphs to a Member of this House contradicting the statement of the Minister, the Department over which he presides is authorized to prevent the contradiction from being forwarded?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; but a proper telegram contradicting a statement made by me would not have been stopped by the Prisons Board.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not, so far as I am concerned, regard the words which the hon. Member omitted as of importance; but the Prisons Board consider them improper.
MR. MAC NEILLI purposely omitted those words, but if the right hon. Gentleman desires it I will read them to the House. Father M'Fadden added: "The bold mendacity of Balfour is becoming unbearable."