§ MR. CAREW (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, seeing that Michael Morrisey has now been more than six weeks in prison for having failed to remove certain buildings erected for the shelter of evicted tenants on the farm of Mrs. Kelly, of Clongorey, over which he had no control, he will consider the desirability of recommending his immediate release?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURMorrisey is in prison for contempt of Court, and the Irish Executive have no power to deal with the case. It is open to the prisoner to obtain his immediate release by purging the contempt.
§ In reply to a further question by Mr. CAREW,
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid: As far as my memory enables me to say, this man's wife has been released on account of ill-health.
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)Have the Irish Executive no power to interfere?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I understand not. We have been clearly advised on that point, and I think I have already said so in answer to previous questions. I am told that the Irish Executive have no power whatever to interfere in a case of committal for contempt of Court.