§ MR. CALLANasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in reference to the arrest of the Reverend Father Jackson by the Manchester police on the night of the 30th December last, If he is now in a position to state whether it is true that, on the conclusion of the evidence in the police court, Mr. Alderman Murray, J.P., stated from the bench "that, as a magistrate, he had a right to act as he did, and would do the same again;" whether, in view of this declaration, the Lord Chancellor deems it right to continue this individual in the commission of the peace; whether Inspector Shandly, who had been formally applied to by Dr. Noble to obtain from the committing Magistrate a written permission to see the Reverend Father Jackson, and who afterwards made in- 617 quiries at the Presbytery about the case, and interfered in no other way, has been practically forced by the police authorities of Manchester to send in his resignation, after thirty years' service; whether the authorities there, on Sunday December 31, 1876, refused to the Catholic Magistrate, and to the Most Reverend Dr. Vaughan, Bishop of Salford, to accept bail for the appearance of the Reverend Father Jackson the following day; and, whether, considering all the circumstances of the case, he will order an inquiry on oath by an impartial and independent tribunal into the entire matter?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, that he might say at the outset that, so far as he then knew, the Rev. Father Jackson must be considered to be entirely free from any imputation that had been cast upon him. He had made inquiries about Inspector Shandly, and the authorities absolutely denied that he had been dismissed the force, or that he had been pressed to resign. He could not understand why bail had been refused for the appearance of the Rev. Father Jackson, and he believed it was true that Mr. Alderman Murray, J.P., did say "that, as a magistrate, he had a right to act as he did, and would do the same again:" but he did not consider that an independent inquiry was necessary pending the trial of the indictments for perjury which would be held at the Summer Assizes. If the solicitors for the prosecution would communicate with the Solicitor to the Treasury or with the Home Office every assistance in the carrying on of the prosecution would be afforded him.
MR. JENKINSinquired whether there was any reason of a public nature for undertaking this prosecution?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSWhat I said was that if the solicitor for the prosecution would put himself in communication with either the Home Office or the Solicitor to the Treasury, we would render him every assistance in our power in carrying on the prosecution.