The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell Vol - I

114 CHARLES STEWART PARNELL [1877
doing him only the barest justice in saying that many of the amendments were inspired by humane and manly considerations.1
On June 5 he said, speaking on an amendment moved by Mr. O'Connor Power, that it was unnecessary for him to go further into the question, for the complaints of the Fenian, prisoners were fully established before the Devon Commission ; but before he sat down he wished to say that the Irish people were deeply interested in this question, that it was a question on which they could go to extremities as they could not go on any other Irish question.
On June 14,1877, he returned to the subject. He reminded the House that the Devon Commission had recommended that certain relaxations should be made in the treatment of political prisoners, and that they should be kept apart from other convicts; and he trusted the Home Secretary would see his way to give effect to that recommendation.
The breach between Butt and Parnell had now widened much; and before the end of May the struggle for the mastery had commenced.
A lengthy correspondence between them appeared in thec Freeman's Journal/ Parnell wrote on April 13 complaining of Butt's action in the House of Commons on the previous day:2
1 On the motion of Parnell the following clauses were added to the Prisons Bill on June 14,1877 : 'It shall not be lawful for any jailor to order any prisoner to be confined in a punishment cell for any term exceeding twenty-four hours, nor shall it be lawful for the Visiting Committee of Justices to order any prisoner to be punished by confinement in a punishment cell for any term exceeding fourteen days.' ' In a case where an inquest is held on the body of a person who dies in prison, no person engaged in any sort of trade or dealing, with tha prison shall be a juror on such inquest.1
2 Ante. p. 112.