§ MR. KENDAL O'BRIENI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the treatment of the prisoners convicted under the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act at Roscrea on the 14th May last, who were handcuffed for several hours while being conveyed from Roscrea to Clonmel prison; and will he state on what grounds were they subjected to this treatment.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe prisoners were handcuffed whilst being conveyed by car from Roscrea to Ballybrophy railway station, a distance of ten miles. The handcuffs were then removed and were not again put on. Considerable crowds were assembled along the route, and this course was adopted by the police as a necessary precaution for the custody of the prisoners. If there had been a place where the prisoners could have been properly detained during the night, that would have been the best course to pursue. But I understand that was not so.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman approves of this outrage?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI do not see how that question comes in. I have said it would have been better if the prisoners could have been kept in the place during the night, but the police say it was not possible, and they were quite right in taking all the necessary precautions in view of the large crowds which had assembled.
§ MR. DILLONThen it is the decision of the Executive Government that prisoners under the Crimes Act shall be handcuffed?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The Question on the Paper is on what grounds these prisoners were subjected to certain treatment. The right hon. Gentleman has stated those grounds, and the question whether or not they are sufficient must be discussed in another way.
§ MR. DILLONThen at the earliest opportunity I shall call attention to the matter.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANIS the right hon. Gentleman aware that these gentlemen—
§ MR. SPEAKEROlder, order!