§ MR. BIGGARasked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, If his attention has been drawn to an article in the "Newry Reporter" of the 27th ultimo, in which great complaints are made of Mr. Lefroy, County Court Judge for Down, and if he will make inquiry into the charges?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON)The County Court Judges are independent Judges, and I must entirely disclaim any authority whatever to inquire into their judicial action. In this instance, however, the learned Judge has favoured me with the facts, and, therefore, I shall answer the Question of the hon. Member, but without making it any precedent for the future. It is alleged that at Newry the Court does not sit until half-past 12 o'clock, and that the Ban-bridge Sessions were adjourned on the 26th of April to the 27th of April. As to the Newry case, it was at the request of the jurors, and in order to allow of the arrival of the 12 o'clock trains, that 1700 the Court sat at half-past 12, instead of 10 o'clock; and as to the Banbridge case, the learned Judge having been summoned as a witness was unavoidably unable to be in Banbridge, and the Sessions were, therefore, duly adjourned to the following day, pursuant to the Statute. Notice of the adjournment was published in the newspapers, and postcards were circulated among the jurors to prevent inconvenience ensuing.