§ MR. ARTHUE WILLIAMS (Glamorgan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the statement made by Mr. Hamilton, the Resident Magistrate at the trial of Mr. Gill, M.P., and Mr. Cox, M.P., at Drogheda, that—
He saw nothing in Police Constable Robinson's evidence to justify the imputation of perjury,was not made at the outset of his cross examination, before Mr. Bodkin, the defendant's counsel, had subjected the witness to tests the result of which was that the magistrates dismissed the charge, because they considered the evidence of this witness unreliable; and, whether a searching inquiry will be instituted into the circumstances under which this unreliable evidence was put forward; and, if so, what will be the nature of the inquiry?
MR. A. J. BALEOURI understand that the facts are substantially as stated in the first paragraph, though I may add that it appears that after the constable's evidence had terminated, and other witnesses had been examined, Mr. Bodkin, the defendant's counsel, renewed the charge of perjury, and the 712 Resident Magistrate told him that he thought he should not make that observation. The Inspector General will make careful inquiry into the matter.