MR. O'CONNELLwished to ask a question of Sir James Graham. A melancholy circumstance had occurred in Ireland, in which two human beings had been shot to death by the police, under the orders and by the sanction of the sheriff, in the county of Tipperary. He wished to ask whether any report explanatory of the circumstances of this melancholy case had been furnished to the Government; and, if so, whether the Government felt justified in laying such a report before the House. But if no report had been received, he would ask whether any steps had been taken to require the officers of the Crown to institute an inquiry into the circumstances?
§ SIR J. GRAHAMI can assure the hon. and learned Gentleman that he cannot more deeply and sincerely deplore the event which has occurred than I do. The officer under whose authority the seizure of the property was made was the under-sheriff of the county, and the police and soldiers acting on that occasion were under his immediate orders in his capacity of under-sheriff. They were, indeed, a part of the posse comitatus, and were bound, when called out, to obey his orders. The question, then, to be considered was, whether 1288 there had been any excessive violence on the part of the police and soldiers. That question has been partially submitted to a jury already; for on the inquest the jury were convinced that there had not been any excessive violence, and therefore they found a verdict of justifiable homicide. But it is open to any party to prosecute the sheriff. I have, indeed, reason to believe that informations have already either been sworn, or are about to be sworn. Of course those informations will be laid before the Government, and it will then be for the Government to determine whether or no it becomes their duty to conduct the prosecution.