HC Deb 09 June 1882 vol 270 cc657-60
MR. DILLON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Edward Slevin was arrested in Mayo on the 11th March 1881, and is still in Kilmainham Gaol, under the Protection Act; whether his case has been considered, and why he is not discharged; whether William Kennedy, of Oola, in the county of Limerick, was arrested on the 9th March 1881, is still in Kilmainham Gaol, and why he was not discharged when the Eight honourable Member for Bradford ordered the discharge of all the Limerick suspects; whether Coleman Naughton, arrested in January last in the Island of Arran, is still in Kilmainham; whether he is unable to speak or understand English, and has suffered much in health; and, whether the Island of Arran has for a long time been in a perfectly peaceful state, and why Naughton is not released?

MR. TREVELYAN

Edward Slevin's release was ordered yesterday. William Kennedy some time ago voluntarily offered, if released, to go at once to America. His Excellency is prepared to order his release on these conditions; but he now declines to go, and he can- not at present be released with safety to his district. I answered the question about C. Naughton yesterday. His health has not suffered by the detention. The Lord Lieutenant is now making some further inquiries into his case; but I regret that the information I have leads me to conclude that the Island is not in the satisfactory state the hon. Member seems to think.

MR. DILLON

asked whether the right hon. Member for Bradford did not state that he had ordered the release of all the Limerick "suspects?"

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, that his statement referred to those who had been arrested since Mr. Clifford Lloyd had been in the county; but Kennedy was arrested many months before.

SIR HENRY FLETCHER

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, How many persons reasonably suspected of inciting to the crime of murder have been recently released by the Lord Lieutenant; and, whether the persons whose lives were jeopardized by the suspects had any communication made to them before the release of the persons who had incited their murder?

MR. TREVELYAN

His Excellency has, in the course of the month, released only two persons who were in custody suspected of inciting to murder. In these cases His Excellency has satisfied himself, before ordering the release of a "suspect," that there were no reasonable grounds for apprehending danger, either to the persons whose lives had been previously endangered, or to any person in the district. His Excellency is unable to authorize me to enter into the question of the strength or weakness of the evidence of the cases, or to disclose the names of the persons with whom he has communicated on these matters.

SIR HENRY FLETCHER

repeated the latter part of the Question.

MR. HEALY

rose to a point of Order, and asked whether it was in accordance with the Rules of the House that a serious charge, one of murder or of manslaughter, should be insinuated by a Question?

MR. SPEAKER

said, he was not prepared to accept the construction put upon the Question, although it did appear to be out of Order.

MR. TREVELYAN

said, that he could only repeat that he was not authorized to enter into details.

MR. BRODRICK

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is true, as reported in the "Times" of June 8th, that three persons, charged with intimidation, and imprisoned in default of giving bail for good behaviour, have been unconditionally released; whether the sentences under which these persons were confined were not perfectly legal; whether they were released without any communication with the convicting magistrate, and without giving bail for good behaviour, which was the sole cause of their imprisonment; and, whether this act of the Executive is not calculated to encourage intimidation and weaken the authority of the Law in Ireland?

MR. TREVELYAN

I will answer the hon. Member's Question, and with it the Questions of the noble Lord the Member for Down (Lord Arthur Hill) and the hon. Baronet the Member for Wigtonshire (Sir Herbert Maxwell). There were 13 people in prison in default of giving bail, of whom several were women. They were committed in a perfectly legal manner. They had been in prison for periods varying from three months to six weeks; and the conduct which had caused them to be held to bail was of a character for which an imprisonment of that length and nature would have been a sufficient punishment. Under these circumstances, the Lord Lieutenant consulted the committing magistrates. In the majority of cases the magistrates stated that the prisoners, considering the condition of their districts and the punishment already inflicted, could be released. His Excellency cautioned the released persons that they would be liable to be bound over again, and committed in default of bail, in case they renewed illegal practices. In my opinion, this is an act of the Executive which is calculated to strengthen, and not to weaken, the authority of the law in Ireland.

SIR HERBERT MAXWELL

asked, if Mr. Abraham, one of the released persons, had given any undertaking to abstain from a repetition of his offence?

MR. TREVELYAN

These persons were put in prison for the very reason that they would not find bail. His Excellency has made no sort of arrangement with them; but he has informed them that if they renew their practices they may be held to bail again. Men who would not give bail obviously would not give promises.

MR. HEALY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. J. P. Quinn is confined in Enniskillen on suspicion of incitement against paying rent; whether he is aware that Mr. Quinn was only assistant secretary in the Land League offices, and that he had made no speech for at least a year before his arrest; whether he will state in what way Mr. Quinn "incited" as alleged; and, whether, seeing that he is a resident of Dublin, the same grounds for releasing him, viz. the peace of his district, do not exist, as in the case of the secretary to the League, Mr. Brennan, who has been discharged?

MR. TREVELYAN

This Question only appeared this morning. Mr. Quinn is detained in Enniskillen Gaol. The hon. Member will find in the Return before the House the only information in reference to his arrest that can be made public. His Excellency reconsidered his case a few days ago, and decided that he should be detained for the present.

MR. DILLON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Why Richard Bourke and John Cullinan, suspects from Bursha, county Tipperary, are still detained in Kilkenny Gaol, when all the other suspects from that and surrounding districts have been released?

MR. TREVELYAN

His Excellency has this day received the result of inquiries which he directed to be made in John Cullinan's case, and has decided to release him. His Excellency had Richard Bourke's case before him on the 2nd instant, and then decided to detain this prisoner for the present, but directed further inquiry to be made. When the result shall have been submitted to him, he will reconsider the case.