MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the wife of Mr. E. Harrington, M.P., accompanied by Mr. T. Harrington, M.P., on reaching Tullamore Prison on Monday 1st April, were not allowed to see Mr. E. Harrington, though more than three months of his term had expired; whether Mr. Harrington had been allowed to receive a single letter or a single visit during these three months; whether the reason assigned for this refusal to permit letters or visits is that he gets no marks as a consequence of being engaged in preparing his defence before the Special Commission; whether Mr. T. Harrington, on telegraphing to the Chairman of the Prisons Board, was informed in reply that the Chairman should communicate with the Governor by post; and whether the visit 1576 is to be disallowed for the reason stated?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAs far as I can understand from the Reports received from the Prisons Board, the facts are substantially as stated in the question. The prison authorities do not seem to have sufficiently taken into account the exceptional circumstances attending Mr. Harrington's imprisonment, due to the necessity Mr. Harrington is under of preparing his defence before the Special Commission; but the error of judgment has been rectified.