MR. HERBERTasked the hon. Member for Cork, in consequence of a statement made by him, What was the date of the meeting of the Cork Grand Jury he referred to, the names of the gentlemen who served on it, and the names of the different baronies they represented?
§ MR. M'CARTHY DOWNINGSir, after the statement I made on Mon day evening I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman should have put the same Question to me again. I have told him, as I tell him now, that I cannot tell whether it was the March Assizes of 1872 or of 1873; and my re collection of the gentlemen who served with me is a perfect blank, save one or two of them. The baronies there represented I do not know. I think the hon. Gentleman ought to have been satisfied with the statement which I made to him in private on Friday night. I do not know why the hon. Gentleman has put the Question again; and I hope I am not violating any Rule of the House when I say that he might be better and more profitably employed in settling affairs with his constituents instead of—["Order, order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid: The hon. Member has put his Question and has received an answer.
MR. HERBERTI claim the indulgence of the House while I make a 1824 personal explanation. The reason why I put this Question was because an accusation was brought by the hon. Member for Cork against a number of gentlemen members of a Grand Jury. The hon. Member stated in this House that these gentlemen actually put a large sum of money on a district because one of these gentlemen had property in the district. I wished to know from the hon. Gentleman who these gentlemen were; because if the statement of the facts be right every one of these gentlemen violated a most solemn oath which he had taken, and I think that bringing an accusation of that kind against a body of gentlemen requires some explanation, particularly when the hon. Gentleman tells me after bringing this accusation against these gentlemen, that he does not remember—although he was the foreman—the date of the Grand Jury nor the names of the gentlemen who served with him.
§ MR. M'CARTHY DOWNINGasked whether he might be allowed to explain.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, that both hon. Members, it appeared, had been referring to a past debate in that House, which was irregular.