HC Deb 01 September 1887 vol 320 cc725-6
MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

asked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether it is a fact that a man named Daniel Scanlan was sentenced at Tarbert Petty Sessions, on the 10th of August, to three weeks' imprisonment, and to a further term of three months if he failed to give security for his good behaviour, himself in £20 and two sureties of £10 each, for an alleged assault on a little girl whom he found tampering with the village pump; whether the evidence went to show that Mr. Scanlan, County Kerry, who is 70 years of age, and had charge of the pump for a considerable time, merely took the child by the ear and remonstrated with her; whether the people of the village have suffered much from the children injuring the pump and depriving them of the necessary supply of water; whether Mr. Sandes, who is landlord of the village, sat on the Bench during the trial and adjudicated in the case; whether Scanlan asked to have the sentence increased to four weeks so that he might have the right of appeal, and whether this was refused by Mr. Sandes; and, whether, under the circumstances, he will call the attention of the Lord Chancellor to the conduct of Mr. Sandes in this case?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. GIBSON) (Liverpool, Walton)

, in reply, said, the facts in the first paragraph of the Question were substantially correct. The girl assaulted was a little girl five years old, and it was not alleged that she was tampering with the public well. The evidence went to show that he dragged her by the ears and lifted her off where she was standing to the ground. Complaints had been made of children injuring the well; but it was so constructed that it could not be materially injured. The well frequently ran dry. Mr. Sandes was one of five magistrates who tried the case, and when asked if he had anything to say reply to the charge, Scanlan replied in the negative.

MR. DILLON

I wish to ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman if he would make some inquiry as to the justice of the sentence of three weeks' imprisonment on a man of 70 years of age, where no allegation was made that the child was injured in any way?

[No reply.]