§ MR. TOTTENHAMasked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether, in the case of The Queen v Parker and Eakins, for entering houses at night and demanding arms and money, informations were taken by Mr. Harrington, J.P., and returned by him for trial at the Murroe Petty Sessions; whether this gentleman declined to accept bail for so serious a charge, but committed the accused to gaol; whether the same magistrate was Chairman of the Bench of five magistrates which subsequently investigated and dismissed the charge; if he will state under what Statute a Petty Sessions Court is under an obligation to return informations for trials when satisfied that there is no case to go to a jury; if he will further state in what capacity Messrs. Lyster and Bourke sat at Murroe on the rehearing of the case; and, whether it is true that Mr. Lyster stated he was sent there by the order of the Lord Lieutenant, and would send the case on for trial on his own responsibility, even against the majority of the other magistrates?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON)Sir, there are six Questions in this Question of the hon. Member, and the answers are:—To the first—Informations were not taken and returned for trial at Petty Sessions, nor could they be; to the second—bail for the appearance of the accused at Petty Sessions was, I believe, refused; to the third—no charge was dismissed; an application for informations was refused by a majority of the Bench; to the fourth—no Statute that I am aware of; to the fifth—as Justices of the Peace; and to the sixth—this statement was not made. I am informed that the Resident Magistrates stated that if a case was established in their opinion to go before a jury, they would, on their own responsibility, return the accused for trial; and the local magistrates stated that they did not contemplate taking any part in the proceedings in the case.