HC Deb 03 May 1901 vol 93 cc611-3
MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, if it is found that Mr. W. T. Stead was allowed any privileges to enable him to edit, write for, or otherwise conduct his newspaper while in prison, he will see that like privileges are allowed to Mr. P. A. M'Hugh, now in Kilmainham Gaol, to enable him to conduct his paper, the Sligo Champion.

MR. ATKINSON

As already stated by my right hon. friend, this matter is decided by the Visiting Committee, whose action is governed by rules. If, however, any application be made by Mr. M'Hugh for special privileges, the matter will be considered with due regard to the precedents in such cases.

MR. TULLY

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Mr. M'Hugh is directly responsible as registered proprietor of the paper for everything that appears in it, although he may be in prison?

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

And in view of the privileges which were allowed to Mr. Stead, and the difficulty of personal communication with his staff when he is a hundred miles away from the office, will Mr. M'Hugh be allowed to write the articles?

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any objection to state exactly in the House what privileges in the matter of editing and conducting his newspapers were allowed to Mr. W. T. Stead when imprisoned some years ago.

*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE, Croydon)

Mr. Stead was not allowed to edit and conduct his papers in December, 1885, but he was permitted by the Visiting Committee to receive visits from the acting editor and sub-editors of the Pall Mall Gazette.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

Was not Mr. Stead allowed to write articles for the Pall Mall Gazette?

*MR. RITCHIE

I have not any details of what he did. I can only give the answer I have given.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

Well, he wrote the articles.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR (Liverpool, Scotland)

Was not Mr. Stead allowed to interview people in his cell in the interest of his paper and to publish the interviews afterwards? I speak with personal knowledge, because I was interviewed myself.

*MR. RITCHIE

The hon. Gentleman has given the House the information for which he asks me.

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

Will the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiry and supply me with the exact conditions under which Mr. Stead conducted his paper?

MR. RITCHIE

This is a matter which occurred a long time ago. I have no personal knowledge of it, and I do not think that any inquiry would bring any further facts to light.

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

The right hon. Gentleman is the head of the Department. Is it not the case—as I know from personal knowledge—that all the facts are recorded by the Visiting Justices?

*MR. SPEAKER

The hon. Member must find some other opportunity of debating this question.

MR. O'DOWD (Sligo, S.)

I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether, in view of the decision come to by the Court of King's Bunch in the case of the King v. Freeman's Journal, he will consider the advisability of having the conviction of Mr. P. A. M'Hugh, M.P., for Leitrim, quashed.

MR. ATKINSON

The answer to this question is in the negative. There is no analogy between the two cases.