§ MR. BYRNE(for Mr. W. J. CORBET) (Wicklow, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If His Excellency has received a Memorial for the release of the 10 men who were convicted at Wicklow on July 28 by a jury not selected according to law, the Judge having subsequently quashed the array, but stated he was powerless to discharge the prisoners, and that the Executive should be applied to in the matter; and, whether the men have been, or will be, discharged?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The Lord Lieutenant has had the case of the prisoners in question before him; and though His Excellency could not recognize the objection on the ground of the panel, by which the prisoners were not in any degree prejudiced, and though the conviction was strictly regular in law, yet in deference to the recommendation of the jury who tried the prisoners, and in view of the improved state of the County Wicklow, His Ex- 1846 cellency was of opinion that he could, without detriment to the interests of the law, exercise clemency in favour of the prisoners, and has accordingly ordered their discharge.