§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will explain why Dr. Tanner, M.P., on arriving from Tipperary Prison at Clonmel Railway Station on Wednesday last, was thrust by force and with violence into a prison van, and, having been overpowered by a number of warders and constables, was conveyed in the prison van to the Magisterial Court to attend the hearing of a charge against him; and, what has been the practice hitherto in regard to the conveyance of Members of Parliament convicted under the Criminal Law and Procedure Act?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI understand that Dr. Tanner, M.P., was not coming from Tipperary Prison to the Magistrates' Court at Clonmel. He was being conveyed in charge of Chief Warder M'Carthy under a writ of habeas corpus from Galway Prison to Clonmel Prison, accompanied by an escort of police. The prison van was in waiting at Clonmel Railway Station. Dr. Tanner refused to enter the van, and clung to the seat outside the door usually occupied by the prison warder; from this he had to be placed in the van, no more force being used than was absolutely necessary, as he resisted by every means in his power. Members of Parliament have been hitherto conveyed to gaol on the large open break supplied to the Constabulary; but the use of this has been discontinued since May 2, owing to the refusal of Messrs. John O'Connor, M.P. for South Tipperary, and T. J. Condon, M.P. for East Tipperary, to go on it when being conveyed from Tipperary Petty Sessions to Clon- 1163 mel Gaol under sentences passed upon them under the Act.
§ MR. SEXTONAre Members of Parliament to understand that they are in future to be expected to enter prison vans in Ireland?
No answer being returned,
§ MR. SEXTONUnless you, Sir, are disposed to rule the question out of order I will press the question. Has it hitherto been the practice to ask Members of Parliament in Ireland to enter the prison van?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI must ask for notice of the question. I do not see that the two Members who refused to enter the open break had anything to complain of.