§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in a case heard on the 20th ultimo, at Grange (county Sligo) Petty Sessions, before Henry Turner, resident magistrate, Charles Gore Jones, and Jeremiah Eccles, justices, George Barker, gamekeeper, was charged by the Constabulary with having been drunk while in possession of loaded firearms; discharged a revolver on the public road; and assaulting Constable M'Mahon whilst the constable was endeavouring to arrest him; whether the several charges were maintained on oath by three constables and four other 1462 witnesses; whether Barker brought a cross-charge of assault against two of the constables; whether this cross-charge was dismissed; whether the magistrates dismissed the charges of drunkenness and discharging the revolver made against Barker, and found him guilty of the assault upon Constable M'Mahon, for which they fined him two pounds; whether the magistrates were unanimous as to the findings and the amount of the fine; whether the Attorney General has caused any steps to be taken to procure further adjudication upon the case; whether copies of reports, informations, and notes of evidence in the case will be laid upon the Table; and, whether the licence to have and carry arms, granted to Barker, will be revoked?
MR. CAMPBELL-BANNEEMANThe facts are substantially as stated. The magistrates, I understand, were influenced in their decision—which was unanimous—by the previous good character borne by Barker, as testified by the police, and they considered the penalty inflicted was sufficient to cover all the charges that were borne out by the evidence. They regarded the discharge of the revolver as accidental, and do not think a case exists for revoking the licence. There were no notes taken of the evidence, and it does not seem necessary to lay any Papers on the Table.