§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether he will explain why the permission to write and receive letters on matters of urgent private business, promised by the Chief Secretary, has not been communicated to the prisoners in Castlebar and other gaols under sentence of imprisonment inflicted by the Criminal Law and Procedure Act Courts; and why letters to Messrs. Thomas Burt and M. Delany, informing them of this privilege, were not communicated to the prisoners.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe Governor of the prison informed both of the prisoners named that they would be allowed to write a letter in connection with their business or family affairs, of an urgent nature, and receive a reply. Delany wrote such a letter and received a reply. The communications referred to at the end of the Question were not delivered to the prisoners because they had already been informed of the privilege, and consequently the letters could not be regarded as urgent or coming within the terms of the rule.
§ MR. DILLONIs the right hon. Gentleman informed of the fact, which I have from one of the prisoners, that the Governor of the prison conveyed to them the impression that they would only be allowed to write and receive one letter, and did not the Chief Secretary promise that they should be allowed to write and receive letters in reference to urgent business?
§ MR. ATKINSONThe information I have received from the Governor is that he communicated to them what privileges they were allowed under the prison rules.
§ MR. DILLONWill the right hon. Gentleman kindly undertake to inquire from the Governor on what ground he 730 suppressed my own letter conveying intimation of the permission granted by the Chief Secretary?
§ MR. ATKINSONI have said the prisoners were already fully informed of the prison rules.
§ MR. DILLONThey were not.