§ MR. TUITE (Westmeath, N.)I wish to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a Question of which I have given him private Notice, Whether Mr. John Hayden, Town Commissioner, editor of The Westmeath Examiner, Mullingar, and brother of the hon. Member for South Leitrim, has been served with a summons under the Crimes Act; what is the nature of the charge against Mr. Hayden; when and where the offence was committed; and by whose direction the prosecution was instituted?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)I have not had time to obtain the information the hon. Gentleman asks for, as I only got notice of the Question a few moments ago.
§ MR. HAYDEN (Leitrim, S.)May I ask—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, Order !
§ Subsequently,
§ MR. TUITEsaid, I wish to ask the Chief Secretary, whether he will give me the information I have just asked for before the House adjourns this evening—if he will be able to state whether the prosecution of Mr. Hayden is due to the fact that both himself and his brother are political opponents of the Government?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI can answer the last part of the Question at once. That is certainly not the ground for the prosecution, if prosecution there be. I have, however, no information on the subject; but I will at once send and inquire what the facts are, and, if I can, I will tell the hon. Gentleman to-night; 920 if not, perhaps he will kindly put his Question down for to-morrow.