§ SIR HERVEY BRUCEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will take immediate steps to assimilate the Law in Ireland to that of England, with regard to the expense of the conveyance of prisoners, and relieve the counties of the expense, on signing the warrant by the committing magistrate?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I understand that it was the intention of the Government of the day that the provisions of the English and Irish Acts of 1877 should be identical with regard to the cost of the conveyance of prisoners; but, owing to a variation of phraseology, it has been held judicially that English counties are relieved from the time of the issue of the warrant of committal, instead of from the time of reception into prison. I have communicated with the Treasury on the matter, and find that they admit the inequality, and think that it should be removed. It would probably be difficult to alter the English law in the sense originally intended; and, therefore, it seems inevitable that the Irish law should be altered and assimilated with the English. I am unable, at this moment, to say precisely when we 1157 can undertake to propose this change to Parliament.