§ MR. BLANEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if the Rev. Daniel Stephens, at present in Londonderry Prison, would be allowed the use of books from his own library by the authorities; and if this were disallowed, would the Government permit him the free use of the prison library, allowing him to have the books changed as wanted, and not restrict him to a few during his imprisonment?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe General Prisons Board report that the Rev. Mr. Stephens being now an ordinary convicted prisoner, his case differs in no respect from that of any other prisoner of the same class. No ordinary prisoner is allowed the use of private books, and the use of prison books is governed by certain general regulations applicable to all prisoners alike, and which the governor has no power to alter in the case of any particular prisoner.