HC Deb 19 July 1904 vol 138 cc421-2
MR. CHARLES CRAIG (Antrim, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord - Lieutenant of Ireland if, after the selection by the Ballinasloe District Lunatic Asylum Committee of Dr. Kirwan over the herd of the Protestant assistant medical superintendent, Dr. Mills, and before His Excellency approved of such selection, communications passed between the Under-Secretary and the Roman Catholic Archbishop or Bishop, or either of them, who were members of the committee, with reference to the supersession of Dr. Mills; if so, by whom was the Under-Secretary authorised to enter into such communications; and did such communications affect the decision of the Irish Government in sanctioning the appointment; and, if not, for what purpose were they invited; was any expression of opinion invitad from any Protestant resident in the neighbourhood; and will copies of such communications, if in writing, be laid upon the Table.

MR. WYNDHAM

All communications issued from my office to the Asylum Committee or any of its members on this subject have passed before me, and were, in my opinion, of a suitable nature. I am not prepared to discuss the existence or non-existence of unofficial communications. The decision of the Government was based exclusively on the terms and intention of Section 81 of the Local Government Act of 1898, after a careful consideration of its provisions, for reasons which I explained in the Committee of the House on 7th July. I have nothing to add to the explanation which I then gave.

MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of laying on the Table the letter addressed to him by the right hon. and gallant Member for North Armagh?

MR. WYNDHAM

Certainly not, unless the right hon. Gentleman informs the House that he desires it to be published.

MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)

Does the right hon. Gentleman consider the communication from the Under-Secretary to be unofficial?

MR. WYNDHAM

I do not follow the Question.

MR. CHARLES CRAIG

Were the communications which passed between the two gentlemen named in the Question and the Under-Secretary official or unofficial?

MR. WYNDHAM

All official communication pass before me, and I am not prepared to discuss the existence or non-existence of any unofficial communications.