§ MR. BIGGAR (on behalf of Mr. HEALY)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is the case that the two agents of the Property Defence Association returned for trial for "moonlighting" at Murroe, county Limerick, on the 17th instant, were admitted to bail; whether it is the fact that over sixty persons from the Millstreet district were detained in gaol some nine months, without bail, for a similar offence, and kept in solitary confinement twenty-two hours out of the twenty-four, without liberty of communication; if so, why a different course has been followed in the case of agents of the Property Defence Association; whether two of the accused Millstreet prisoners are still in gaol, the Crown having opposed bail for them at the Winter Assizes, the indictment being changed to treason felony; whether one of them, Moynighan, has been in custody twelve months; whether, although four assizes have been held since his arrest, no attempt has been made to put him on trial; whether the Government is aware that at the Winter Assizes of 1881 he had fruitlessly to keep eight witnesses in Cork during seven weeks, at heavy expense; will the Crown now either order his discharge, or give a guarantee that he will be tried at the next Winter Assizes; and, in the latter case, will care be taken to give reasonable notice, so that he may prepare his defence; and, 9 will the Crown defray the reasonable expenses of counsel and witnesses for Moynighan and his fellow prisoner, as under the Crimes Act?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe two agents of the Property Defence Association referred to in this Question have been admitted to substantial bail. Sixty-two persons from the Millstreet district, charged with treason-felony, were detained in gaol in Cork, but only two of them were detained so long as nine months. They were all treated in accordance with the rules approved of by Parliament which are in force for untried prisoners. No agent of the Property Defence Association has been committed to the Cork Prison. Two of the Millstreet prisoners are still in custody in that gaol. Moynighan, the man referred to by name, was tried at the last Summer Assizes for treason-felony, when the jury disagreed. He is to be put on trial at the approaching Winter Assizes for an attack by night on the house of a person named Carroll. It is the case that he applied to be admitted to bail, and I believe the application was opposed by direction of the Attorney General for Ireland, and was refused. With regard to the other points in the Question, I must refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHSON)then gave further answers to parts of the Question.