HC Deb 11 July 1856 vol 143 cc644-5
MR. MACARTNEY

said, he begged to ask the right hon. and learned Attorney General for Ireland the name of the magistrate before whom any informations were sworn, the date of the same, and the day upon which a warrant was issued for the apprehension of Mr. James Sadleir?

SIR GEORGE GREY

said, if he might be allowed to interpose between his right hon. and learned Friend and the hon. Gentleman, he would take the liberty of pointing out the great inconvenience of putting questions of this kind when it was not in the power of the right hon. and learned Gentleman to whom the question was addressed to enter into a full explanation of the circumstances pending a criminal prosecution. Independently of that consideration, the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney General for Ireland had just received information from Ireland that a statement had been made that morning by the Master of the Rolls from the bench, bringing several charges of a grave character against his conduct in the administration of his office as Attorney General. If any Member of that House should think fit to bring any specific charge against the right hon. and learned Gentleman, he was prepared to give a complete answer to it in that House, but if no hon. Member was prepared to embody his suspicions, if he might so call them, in the form of a Resolution, to be submitted to the House; then, the right hon. and learned Gentleman, as soon as he could obtain an accurate copy of what had fallen from the learned Judge, would himself be ready to bring forward the question in that House, and would give the House a full and complete explanation of the course which he had pursued. In the meantime, he hoped the House would not call upon the right hon. and learned Gentleman for any statement, either in reference to this question or in reference to the notice which had been given by a right hon. Gentleman for to-night, which it was the opinion of the Government it was inexpedient, under the circumstances of the case, that he should make.

MR. MACARTNEY

said, he must beg to explain that the reason of his putting the question was in consequence of an apparent discrepancy in the dates mentioned by the right hon. and learned Gentleman (Mr. J. D. FitzGerald).