§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has satisfied himself as to the sanity of a prisoner named Devany, at present confined in Portland in connection with the dynamite conspiracy; and, whether, seeing that this man is now 70 years of age, that the evidence in his case went to show that his part in the conspiracy was of a subordinate character, and that he has already been in prison about 13 years, he will reconsider his case?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYAs I recently informed the House, Devany was specially examined in December last with the other treason-felony convicts by two specialists, and I was satisfied by their report that Devany was not of unsound mind. I stated at the same time, so far as the merits of the case were concerned, the principles upon which the Government were prepared to treat it. I may add that Devany has served 12 years and not 13, and that according to the information in my possession his age is 55 and not 70.