HC Deb 05 April 1883 vol 277 cc1493-4
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, What official information he can give with regard to the proceedings detailed in the following statement, made by Mr. Matthew Harris, a Member of the Town Commission of Ballinasloe:— At ten this morning (Tuesday, 3rd inst.) Sub-Inspector Joyce, with twelve men, searched my papers. Finding them too numerous to read they packed them into a basket and a bag, and brought them with them. The papers consisted of public and private letters, invoices, memorandum books, diaries, and some manuscripts on public matters. Does the law allow all letters to be removed for examination; whether this proceeding took place under the 14th section of the Crime Prevention Act, which enables the police, under warrant from the Lord Lieutenant, in a proclaimed district, "to search for and seize" any papers, documents, &c. suspected to be used or to be intended to be used for the purpose of or in connexion with any secret society or secret association existing for criminal purposes. Which papers, documents, &c. are declared when seized to be forfeited to Her Majesty; whether Sub-Inspector Joyce was authorised to pack up and take away Mr. Harris's private and public papers, without having taken steps to ascertain their character; and, whether these papers, the property of Mr. Harris, removed before their nature had been ascertained, are now forfeited to Her Majesty?

MR. TREVELYAN

The proceedings referred to took place under the 14th section of the Prevention of Crime Act. The only object the Sub-Inspector had in removing the papers instead of examining them on the spot was to meet Mr. Harris's convenience, who would otherwise have had to put up with the presence of the police in his house for some days while examining so large a mass of papers. Documents have been found among them which it is believed have an important bearing in connection with the murder case now pending; and it was because those documents were believed to be there that these papers were seized. All papers which were not forfeited under the provisions of the Act would, as a matter of course, be returned to Mr. Harris as soon as possible.

MR. O'KELLY

Would the right hon. Gentleman inform us what guarantee there is that the police did not put these documents there?