§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, on the 1st January ult., at the Castlewellan (county Down) Petty Sessions, in a case against four boys, for having caused obstruction in the street, the evidence was of such a character that the solicitors for the accused appealed to the bench to censure the prosecuting constable, but Lord Annesley, the only justice present, whilst declaring that there was no evidence, said he believed the boys were guilty, and inflicted the utmost penalty upon them; and, whether the penalty will be remitted?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe defendants in this case were of the "corner boy" class, and were aged from 20 to 25 years. They were charged with placing large stones, weighing up to 112 lbs., across the street at 11 o'clock at night. 211 It is not true that the solicitor for the defence appealed to the Bench to censure the prosecuting constable. He merely applied that costs should be given against him, which is not an unusual application. It is not true that the presiding magistrate declared that there was no evidence. He stated that the evidence clearly satisfied him of the defendants' guilt, but that it was not strong owing to the reluctant manner in which the witnesses—some of whom were accomplices of the defendants—answered the questions put to them. No witnesses were produced for the defence. The penalty imposed was a fine of 10s., and I see no reason for asking the Lord Lieutenant to remit it.