§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he has seen extracts from letters alleged to have been written by Colonel Baden-Powell, in one of which a passage occurs in which he is alleged to have stated that he had forty Fenian prisoners, including the late stationmaster at Mafeking; was this information communicated to the War Office; what was the offence for which they were made prisoners; whether he can say on what evidence Colonel Baden-Powell stated that his prisoners were Fenians; and whether he still has those prisoners, and is the late stationmaster of Mafeking amongst them.
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)No, Sir. There is no information whatever in the War Office on this subject.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENWill inquiries be made as to the truth of these statements? It seems an extraordinary thing that the newspapers should get them.
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!