§ MR. FINUCANE (Limerick, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. Thomas Moroney, who has been now imprisoned for over 14 months for contempt of Court, was the owner of the fair green of Herbertstown, from which he has been evicted within the past fortnight; whether, during his imprisonment, he has received the tolls of all the fairs held in Herbertstown; whether any communication has been recently made to him, either by the Government or those responsible for his detention, that if he promised not to interfere with The O'Grady, his late landlord, in the collection of the tolls, that he would be liberated immediately; and, whether Mr. Edmund Ryan, P.L.G., of Asker- 1076 line, County Limerick, who was committed for contempt of Court, was liberated after 12 months; and, if so, what is the reason for the diversity of treatment to both prisoners?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: As already explained, in reply to a former Question, Thomas Moroney was not committed for contempt of Court, but for refusing to be sworn and give evidence in the Bankruptcy Court, as required by the 385th section of the Bankruptcy Act of 1857. The fair green is part of the holding which was rented by Moroney, who as tenant used to receive the tolls collected at the fairs held on the green from which he has been evicted. During his imprisonment the tolls have been collected by strangers, who, it is believed, have paid them over to his wife. No such representation as that indicated in the third paragraph has been made to Moroney, Edward Ryan's case was entirely different from that of Moroney. Ryan was committed for contempt of Court, and was liberated on the expiration of the period prescribed by law.