MR. SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If his attention has been called to certain paragraphs in the Dublin daily papers relative to the arrest of some gentlemen by the police on a charge of injuring iron railings in Sackville Street (which the prisoners declared they were only "straightening ") at three o'clock in the morning, when coming from their club, the acting Police Inspector who received the charge at the police station directing them to be retained till morning; whether it is true that amongst the friends who during the night offered themselves as bail for the accused, was the Commissioner of Police, the superior officer of the Inspector in question; whether the newspapers are correct in stating that the Inspector had been "reduced" by the Commissioner in consequence of this incident; and, whether, having regard to the desirability of the officers and men of the police force discharging their duties in an impartial and independent manner, the Government will recommend the Chief Commissioner of Police in future to leave the bailing of night prisoners arrested by the police to some other friends of the accused?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS BEACH, in reply, said, he took no notice of certain paragraphs referring to the matter in question, because he did not think they deserved attention. It was not true that the Chief Commissioner of Police offered himself as bail for the accused. There would have been no necessity for his doing so, because, both as Chief Commissioner and as a magistrate, he might have discharged the defendants from custody if he had thought fit to do so. The case went before a magistrate the following morning, and was dismissed, and the police-sergeant who was acting as night Inspector at the time these gentlemen were arrested was reduced to his former grade of sergeant, on account of the want of discretion which he displayed in detaining persons who were perfectly well known to him, and not allowing them to be released upon bail,