§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has observed that in every one of the five prosecutions which have taken place in the King's County under the Crime Prevention Act the persons accused have been discharged by the magistrates; whether, in a case tried at Birr on Thursday last, in which the police accused two men, Michael Kenny and William Dorrley, the latter an "ex-suspect," with having been on the public road at eleven o'clock at night—
Under circumstances giving rise to a reasonable suspicion of their being about to commit a criminal act,the magistrates discharged the prisoners, Mr. McSheehy, R. M. observing that—The Legislature did not contemplate, in passing the Act, that it would be used to ter- 956 rorise the people, and he trusted those entrusted with the carrying of it out would use all due discretion in future;and, whether, in view of this and similar cases since the passing of the Act, the Irish Executive will instruct the Police to use the power of arrest with more discretion?
MR. TREYELYANThere were two cases only tried under the Prevention of Crime Act in the King's County, and both of these were dismissed by the magistrates. Mr. M'Sheehy did not use the expression "terrorize" attributed to him in the second paragraph of the Question. He informs me that what he said was that it was not the intention of Government that the Act should be carried out oppressively. Attention will be called to the necessity of exercising discretion in making arrests under the Act.