§ Letters may be written and received by prisoners."
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether that part of the Order relating to legal advice cancels the Order issued last week that there would be no legal advice allowed?
§ Mr. TENNANTI was not aware that any Order of the kind had been issued. [HON. MEMBERS: "Yes."] Obviously this Order would supersede the former.
§ Mr. GINNELLWould the right hon. Gentleman try to have it expressly superseded, so that the prisoners may be allowed to get what legal advice they desire?
§ Mr. FLAVINMay I ask how are prisoners arrested in Ireland, and those deported over here, to get at their legal advisers, especially those men who are innocent? If these men are innocent, will the Government pay the cost of their legal advisers coming across to see them?
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYHas the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been called to the fact that this official statement (exhibiting a paper) is dated 6th May, and states that prisoners arrested under martial law are not permitted to communicate with any person whatsoever? Is that to be understood?—because we do not know. Some of these prisoners arrested are Irish Conservative landlords. They are in Wake-field Gaol. How can this knowledge be brought to their notice?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe notice which the hon. and learned Gentleman has read was issued on 6th May. The notice that I have read is dated 16th May—ten days later. It is not surprising that, immediately after the rebellion, such an Order was issued. The one I have just read no doubt supersedes it.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYThat is not my point. What I want to know is, how can a man in Wakefield Gaol, shut out from the newspapers—a man who is, I assume, innocent—become aware of the Order?
§ Mr. TENNANTHe will have a form sent to him.
§ Mr. MAURICE HEALYHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the statement made at a meeting of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland that where legal assistance had been engaged by friends of prisoners the authorities had refused to allow that help to be given because the prisoner himself had not retained the lawyer in question?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo, Sir; I have not seen anything of the kind. I imagine no difficulty would be placed in the way of legal assistance being given to prisoners under the Order which I have just read.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYThe right hon. Gentleman yesterday, quoting the exact official words, said he was unable to give me an answer?
§ Mr. TENNANTBecause then I had not received the information which I have just conveyed to the House.
§ Mr. LYNCHWill the Government entertain a proposal which would be a more satisfactory solution of the whole question—that is, a general amnesty?