QUESTIONS. (Hansard, 6 March 1871)

MR. GLADSTONE

Sir, I will give to the noble Lord the most accurate information in my power with reference to the three Questions he has put to me. With regard to the first, I have no authority in my possession with respect to the presentment of the Grand Jury or their resolution except a telegram which was sent to Her Majesty's Government; but, from what I have seen in the newspapers, I conclude that the telegram is textually a transcript of the substance of that document, a fact of which I was not aware during the debate. The quotation of the noble Lord is correct, with this exception—which is of some consequence—that it does not contain the words "wholly ineffective"—the 1390 expression used by the Grand Jury—but "wholly insufficient." That is the only point on which the noble Lord's quotation is not accurate. The telegram is quite at the noble Lord's service if he likes. With respect to the Charge of Chief Justice Monaghan, the noble Lord is doubtless aware that the Charge of the Chief Justice is not an official document—that there is no report of it which we should be justified in attempting to hold the Chief Justice bound by, in case a mistake had been made in the report. Still, a report of that Charge is in my hands, which I believe has been made with as much care as possible, and in that report, substantially corresponding with what the noble Lord has stated, the Chief Justice says— When I was last here, gentlemen, the county was in an unsettled state, but I am bound to say that things are proceeding from bad to worse. In answer to the third Question, as to the resident magistrate at Trim— Whether it is correct that the resident magistrate at Trim, the assize town of Meath, informed Her Majesty's Judges he had received trustworthy information that they were to be attacked on their journey from Trim to Mullingar, the assize town of Westmeath; and whether he reported such information to Dublin Castle?"— the resident magistrate made a report, I believe, to officers of Her Majesty's Government upon that subject, and stated that he had received information to the effect that the Judges were to be attacked on their journey from Trim to Mullingar. With regard to this being trustworthy information, I believe it to have been trustworthy so far as respects the character of the person from whom it was received. I particularly dwell on the phrase—"so far as concerns the character of the person from whom it was received." But with regard to its being trustworthy information in the sense of its being information with a great probable appearance of truth, I am bound to say we consider it was not trustworthy in that sense, because there were several indications in the report itself which appeared to show that it was not worthy of belief. Notwithstanding that, in consequence of the very fact of such a report having reached the Crown Solicitor, communication was made to Dublin Castle, and special precautions were taken upon the road by which the Judges proceeded, which, however, was not the route indicated in the report. 1391 The Charge of the Chief Justice may be examined by the noble Lord if he desires it.