HC Deb 07 March 1884 vol 285 cc856-7
MR. O'BRIEN

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is the fact that a naval pensioner named Thomas Walsh, postmaster at Castletownshend, county Cork, was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, under the Crimes Act, at Skibbereen, for writing a threatening letter, and that this sentence was confirmed, on appeal, by the county court judge; that a memorial, signed by the district magistrates, was presented, through Judge Townshend, to the Lord Lieutenant, in favour of the prisoner; that Walsh was thereupon liberated, after being a few days in gaol; that, although he was temporarily deprived of his office of postmaster, he was restored to it shortly after his release; whether any precedent exists for the Lord Lieutenant remitting a sentence passed under the Crimes Act, and confirmed, on appeal, by the county court judge; if he could state on what grounds did His Excellency pardon Walsh; how long was he in gaol; is it the fact that, in 1881–2, persons in the Postal Service arrested on mere suspicion, under the Coercion Act, were refused reinstatement upon release; and, if he will inquire of the postal authorities upon what principle Walsh was restored to the Service, after conviction?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, the facts are as stated in the first paragraph of this Question, except that the memorial on behalf of Walsh was not forwarded by Judge Townshend, and that it was not the Lord Lieutenant; but the Lords Justices, acting in His Excellency's absence, who reduced the sentence. Very few cases under the Crimes Act, confirmed on appeal, have come before His Excellency by memorial—I believe only three in all. In one of those the appeal was not proceeded with, and the County Court Judge affirmed the sentence, which was afterwards reduced by His Excellency, the prisoner being released on bail after he had suffered one month out of a sentence of four months. Walsh was in custody from the 20th of October to the 3rd of November. He was released by the Lords Justices, after a most careful consideration of all the circumstances of the case, because they considered it a proper one in which to exercise the Prerogative of the Crown. I cannot undertake to answer Questions relating to the action of the Post Office Department.