§ MR. COMMINS (Roscommon, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the quashing, by the Court of Queen's Bench in Ireland, of the coroner's inquisition, by which a verdict of wilful murder was found against a District Inspector and five members of the Royal Irish Constabulary on the 9th September last at Mitchelstown; whether it is a fact that the inquisition was quashed on account of irregular and improper steps alleged to be taken by the coroner in the conduct of the proceedings, and not on the grounds that the verdict found by the jury was wrong or improper, or unsupported by the evidence; whether the proceedings before the coroner having thus become void, it is the intention of the Crown to take any steps for the holding of a new inquest by special Commissioners or otherwise, as provided by the Law in cases of inquisitions so quashed; and, whether any prosecution before magistrates or other magisterial inquiry has yet been held, or directed to be held, into the facts disclosed upon the inquest, which has become abortive by the quashing of the inquisition above mentioned?
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN)(who replied) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)said: My attention has been called to the quashing of the coroner's inquisition, by which a verdict of wilful murder was found against a District Inspector and five members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, on September 9, at Mitchelstown. It is the fact that the inquisition was quashed on the ground of the irregular and improper steps alleged to have been taken by the coroner in the conduct of the proceedings. The other grounds referred to by the hon. Member—namely, as to whether the verdict found by the jury was wrong or improper or unsupported by the evidence—were not discussed before the Queen's Bench, inasmuch as it has been settled by authority that it is not competent for that Court to review the verdict on any such grounds or to look into the depositions for that purpose. The Crown do not consider it necessary to take any steps for the holding of a 379 new inquest. No prosecution before magistrates or other magisterial inquiry has been held, or directed to be held, into the facts disclosed upon the inquest.