§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Sheriff of the County Donegal issued any warrant, special or otherwise, on foot of decrees for rent at suit of Mr. A. J. R. Stewart, of Ards, against John M'Cue, Manus M'Fadden, Mrs.—M'Cue, and James Magee, or any of them, during 1886, and especially to James Wason, the bailiff of the Stewart Estate, at Dunfanaghy, in said county; whether Wason collected the said decrees, with costs and Sheriff's fees, as if he had such warrants in the said year of 1886; whether, in the end of 1885, he extorted from widow Ellen M'Fadden, Magheramana, £3 11s., pretending that he had there a decree at suit of Samuel Fleming, of Letterkenny; whether he was compelled to refund this latter sum, having no decree at all then in his possession; whether there is any means of distinguishing between bailiffs duly authorized and those not; and, if the facts 517 are as alleged, what action the Government propose to take in the matter?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)(who replied) said: the hon. Gentleman is, of course, aware that the only action that the Executive could take in reference to James Wason would be to prosecute him for a criminal offence, in case there was evidence to show that such an offence has been committed by him. I have caused inquiries to be made on this subject; and as the matter may come before a legal tribunal it is not expedient for me to make any further statement.