QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 2 May 1884)

§ MR. SEXTON

said, that as he saw the hon. and learned Gentleman the Solicitor General for Ireland (Mr. Walker) in his place he should like to put a Question to him, before the House adjourned—a Question with reference to the kind of treatment which had been inflicted on 11 inhabitants of the county (Sligo) which he (Mr. Sexton) had the honour to represent. These men were arrested a long time; and, on Wednesday last, he called attention to the fact that they had been remanded several times after private examination in the gaol, and after no evidence had been produced. They had also been 1265 denied the visits of their solicitors and of their friends. When he drew attention to these facts, the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at once undertook that the next examination of the men should he in open Court, that the Crown should bring forward evidence, and that the prisoners should be allowed to have proper facilities for preparing their defence. It now appeared, however, that the pledge which the right hon. Gentleman then gave him had been broken through the obstinacy of some official. There had been another examination; that examination was again private; no evidence was produced; and the prisoners charged were, on the flat of the Crown Solicitor, remanded to Monday next. As to the undertaking given by the Government that the prisoners should be allowed to communicate with their solicitors, he (Mr. Sexton) had been informed, to-day, that they had only been allowed to communicate with them separately, one by one; and the highest legal authority could be cited for the contention that, as the charge against the prisoners was one of conspiracy, they could not prepare their defence properly unless they were allowed to confer with their solicitors all together. Furthermore, he had found that, when he (Mr. Sexton) telegraphed to the prison, detailing the fact that pledges had been given by the Government, and explaining what those pledges were, the telegram was only communicated to the particular prisoner to whom it was addressed, and not to the others, who were equally interested. He would put it to the House, was it not cruel to keep from the knowledge of those men the fact that their next examination was to be public, and that evidence would then be brought forward? He had no other desire than to promote the ends of justice, and to see that proper Constitutional practices were followed; and he would ask the hon. and learned Gentleman the Solicitor General for Ireland, whether he would not give an undertaking that he would communicate with the Attorney General for Ireland to-day, and with the Governor of the gaol in Sligo, informing the latter that the decisions of the Government in this House ought to be brought to the knowledge of all the prisoners concerned, and that all the prisoners should be enabled, together 1266 and at one time, to meet their legal representative in one place, so that they might have the opportunity properly to defend themselves against a charge of conspiracy, as that was the only effective manner in which they could possibly prepare their defence. He knew the disposition of the hon. and learned Gentleman himself; and he trusted that he would he able to use his influence, both in Dublin and in Sligo, so as to take some effective measures before the last day that might decide the fate of these men had passed.