§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on what day the order was given to the printers to print the Report of the Evicted Tenants Commission for distribution to Members?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Report of the Evicted Tenants Commission was presented on Thursday last. It was sent, I am informed, in a final state for press on the following afternoon to the printers in Dublin, who received telegraphic instructions that day to provide the copies forthwith for distribution to Members. The matter, however, is not in my Department, but comes under the regulations of the Stationery Department.
§ MR. CRILLY (Mayo, N.)Was not a copy of this Report lying for some days in the Vote Office, and was there seen and read by many hon. Members?
§ MR. BARTLEYIs it not a fact there was a delay of 15 days after the Report was sent in before it was printed for circulation? Can the right hon. Gentleman account for the delay?
MR. J. MORLEYIt is easy to do so. The House, I supposed, would prefer to have the evidence along with the Report, but owing to a strong desire afterwards expressed by hon. Members to see the Report without the evidence, in order that the discussion upon it 1859 might be taken on an early day, it was thought better to present the Report alone. I am not quite sure about February 15 being the correct date.
§ MR. BARTLEYIs it not a fact that the Report was submitted to the Chief Secretary for his consideration before it was officially reported?
MR. J. MORLEYI do not know what the hon. Member means by "officially reported." The first that I saw of the Report was when it was printed in the final shape exactly as hon. Members have it. It was submitted by me in the ordinary course to the Lord Lieutenant.