§ MR. HARRINGTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true, as reported in the "Leinster Leader" of Saturday, that, at the Kilmeague Petty Sessions on Tuesday last, a man named Laurence Herbert, who described himself as a boycotted landlord, was prosecuted by a woman named Mary Donald for having assaulted her by striking her with a stick, knocking her down, loosening one of her teeth, cutting her head, and spraining her thumb; whether this assault was committed in presence of two policemen, who were standing on the opposite side of a canal from that on which the assault took place, but who made no effort to come to the woman's rescue; whether the policemen confirmed the woman's testimony as to the grievous character of the assault; whether the three magistrates who tried the case were landlords; and, if he approves of the punishment they inflicted by fining him five shillings for this grievous assault?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, Laurence Herbert was prosecuted, as stated, by Mary Donald. The police did not witness any assault of the serious character described, but from the opposite side of the canal, and at a distance of about 200 yards, they saw Herbert give the woman a push, which knocked her down. She got up and went towards her house, and immediately afterwards she reported the matter at the police barrack, and stated that she was going to prosecute Herbert, but she did not complain of having been injured in the manner described, nor did she present any appearance of injury. The magistrates were, I presume, satisfied that the assault was not a serious one when they imposed a fine of 5s. Two of the magistrates were landlords.