HC Deb 31 March 1887 vol 313 cc87-8
MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)

asked the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reference to the numbers he had given, Whether he was aware that the criminal statistics of Ireland furnished the number of the offences reported to the police as compared with the number of convictions, whereas the statistics of this country showed only the number of persons committed and the number of persons convicted; and, whether he would furnish a Return giving similar information for both countries, that was—the number of crimes of different kinds which were reported by the police in this country?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square)

, in reply, said, that surely the hon. Member must know that that matter was entirely out of his Department. He had used the figures as to crime in Ireland according to the customary form in which they were supplied to the House. The preparation of criminal statistics rested with the Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary for Ireland.

MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary, Whether it was not customary, and the practice until, I think, Midsummer, 1886, to lay before the House the tables which enabled those who read them to find out how many persons were made amenable and returned for trial, how many were convicted, and various other particulars; and why these Returns are not now laid before us?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

I rather think that they are still laid.

MR. JOHN MORLEY

dissented.

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)

asked the Attorney General for Ireland to explain what was the meaning of the term "made amenable."

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)

, said, that the hon. Member was probably aware that the Returns laid before Parliament had been given for a great number of years. The interpretation which he was in the habit of placing on persons being described as made amenable, was that they were brought for trial before a Court of competent jurisdiction. The cases to which the Chancellor of the Exchequer referred were all brought either before the Court of Quarter Sessions or the Court of Assize and tried before a jury.

MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)

That does not, I presume, include persons who are merely brought before magistrates at Petty Sessions?

MR. HOLMES

I think not, Sir. I think it means that they are brought before a Court competent to try the case.

MR. CHANCE (Kilkenny, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary, whether he would lay upon the Table of the House a Statement of the number of outrages reported within the last 12 months by bailiffs, rent agents, emergency men, and persons caring evicted farms?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

I cannot undertake to make inquiry into each case.