§ DR. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)asked the Lord Advocate, Whether his attention has been called to the circumstances under which Donald MacNab, boatman, met his death on Loch Awe, on the night of June 27th or morning of June 28th; and, whether, considering 1315 the fact that his body was not found where his companions in the boat at the time of the occurrence alleged that he had fallen overboard, and that, when found floating weeks afterwards, it bore marks on the head and hand, and, considering the anxiety of MacNab's family to have the case investigated, he will direct the procurator fiscal to order such post mortem examination as may show whether the marks referred to had been caused before or after death, or, if such an examination has been made, he will allow MacNab's family to inspect the medical report and any depositions in the case?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. H. A. MACDONALD) (Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities), in reply, said, that Donald MacNab was drowned on the morning of June 28, and those who were with him in the boat gave information at once to the police. The body was not recovered until the 22nd of August, and was, of course, in an advanced state of decomposition, and had been injured, from being in that state. It was examined by a competent medical man, who reported that there was no sign of any injury having been inflicted before death. It was not the practice to make public the particulars in cases where those responsible for criminal investigation were satisfied that no crime had been committed; but he might mention, for the satisfaction of the hon. Member and those on whose behalf the Question was put, that on recovery of the body what was observed tended strongly to confirm the accuracy of the statements which had been made at the time by those who were with the deceased when the accident took place.