§ MR. T. P. O'CONNOR(for Mr. HEALY) asked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether, in those cases where the Irish police have recently seized horses and cars by force, the Crown will, on a charge being duly preferred against them by the owners, undertake a prosecution; and, if not, if he would 22 state why not; and, whether, if persons not policemen were similarly to impress horses, &c the Law would be put in force against them, and what is the statute under which such powers are exercised, and whether they invest in each individual policeman in Ireland?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. LAW),in reply, said, he presumed the case to which the Question of the hon. Member for Wexford (Mr. Healy) referred occurred a few days ago in the county of Louth. What happened was this. A party of Constabulary hired a number of cars to convey them six or seven miles. After proceeding part of the way some of the drivers refused to drive any further, and the police accordingly drove the cars themselves. He did not see any offence in that. It was quite true that there was no law authorizing the police to forcibly seize cars.