HC Deb 28 March 1890 vol 343 cc165-6
MR. COBB (Warwick, S.E., Rugby)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Commissioner of Police sent an officer to Mr. Soames to ask him whether he had paid to the late Richard Pigott any of the notes which he sent, just before his flight, to his housekeeper in Dublin, and could he state what was the purport and date of Mr. Soames' reply; whether the police traced two of the notes for £10 and £5 as having' been paid to Mr. Soames by his bankers upon his cheque; whether a constable then saw Mr. Soames, and upon what date, and with what object; whether Mr. Soames wrote, and on what date, complaining of the language used to him by the constable; whether any reply has been sent to this letter; and whether, having regard to the fact that a witness before the Special Commission absconded while under cross-examination, the Home Office have also ascertained, or will ascertain, to whom and when Mr. Soames paid the two notes, and who paid them to Pigott, and when?

MR. MATTHEWS

The answer to the first, third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs is in the negative. The answer to the second paragraph is in the affirmative. The police did endeavour to ascertain whether any person was responsible for the absconding of the witness Pigott. The inquiries made, of which I have already given the hon. Member the result, and the evidence given in Court having satisfied the police that Mr. Soames was not so responsible, any such inquiry as suggested in the last paragraph would be immaterial.

MR. COBB

Does the right hon. Gentleman not understand that it has never been suggested that Mr. Soames was responsible? But have not the Home Office attempted to trace the notes to the actual person who paid them to Pigott?

MR. MATTHEWS

The police found that the two notes ultimately came from Mr. Soames; but whether they passed through Mr. Soames's hands or through the hands of some of his clerks was not a matter for the police to inquire into.

MR. LABOUCHERE

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that these notes were drawn by Mr. Soames from the bank before, according to his own evidence, he knew anything about Pigott?

MR. MATTHEWS

I have given as complete an answer as I can. Mr. Soames drew the notes from the bank; they were subsequently found in the possession of Pigott's housekeeper; and therefore no further inquiry was necessary.

MR. COBB

The point is, who was the individual who placed those notes in Pigott's hands?

MR. MATTHEWS

I perfectly understand what the hon. Member means, and I have given him all the information I possess.