§ MR. SWEETMAN (Wicklow, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that General Hutchinson, representing the Board of Trade at the inquiry into the hours of work on the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, is reported in The Irish Times of 23rd December, as having said to a witness, in examining him—
We must be careful about this, for it is on account of the 14 hours that all this fuss has turned up";and whether the report is correct; and, if so, whether he intends to continue the inquiry through General Hutchinson? I beg to say that the question as it appears on the Paper is not my question. It is that of the Clerks at the Table. I have, however, no objection to accept the first part which has kindly been put down in my name.
§ THE DEPUTY SPEAKERThe hon. Member is out of Order.
§ MR. SWEETMANI apologise for having offended, but being a new Member I hope I maybe excused. As I said, I am willing to accept the first part, but I do not wish to ask whether it is intended to continue the inquiry, as I understand it was concluded last Friday. Is the report in The Irish Times to be taken as correct, and, if so, does the right hon. Gentleman consider General Hutchinson a proper person to hold inquiries of such a, nature when be is capable of designating one of them as "all this fuss"?
§ MR. MUNDELLAGeneral Hutchinson telegraphs that he does not remember the exact words used in examining Driver Tierman, but that he warned him to be very careful in giving accurate information about the deceased fireman's hours, as it was on his statement at the inquest about these hours that the jury added the rider to their verdict. With reference to the last part of the question, I have full confidence in General Hutchinson, who will complete the inquiry if he has not already done so.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)Did General Hutchinson in the course of the inquiry use observations to induce witnesses to say the deceased was a flighty character?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI cannot answer such a question without notice.