§ MR W. A. MACDONALD (Queen's Co., Ossory)asked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether, at the recent Summer Assizes for the Queen's County, a shopkeeper of Portarlington, named Dignam, was indicted for writing a threatening letter and sending it to a Resident Magistrate, Mr. Yesey Fitzgerald; whether the only evidence against him was that of handwriting as attested by District Inspector Warburton, who declared that he did not give his evidence as an expert, and by an assistant Clerk of the Peace named Peake, who is usually employed by the Government; whether the threatening letter denounces Mr. Fitzgerald as an "old Orangeman;" whether Dignam, the alleged writer, is a Protestant; whether the Very Rev. John Wolseley, Protestant Dean of Kildare, and the Rev. G. T. Cowell, Rector of Lea, came forward and gave him an excellent character, the former declaring that he had known him from his childhood; whether the jury disagreed, and the case was adjourned to the next Assizes; and, whether there is sufficient evidence to justify the Government in placing Dignam a second time upon his trial?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. GIBSON), (Liverpool, Walton)in reply, said, he had telegraphed for information with regard to this Question; but he had not yet boon able to get it. The facts were accurately stated in the Question. the informations in the ease would be, as usual, considered before any further steps were taken.
§ MR. W. A. MACDONALDsaid, he would put down the Question again.