§ MR. P. J. O'BRIEN (Tipperary, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the report of a case recently tried at Sorrha Petty Sessions, County Tipperary, where Mr. Michael Hogan, Honorary Secretary to the local branch of the League, was charged with being "drunk and disorderly" on May 10, at the prosecution of Police Sergeant M'Clintock, of Pike Station; whether, according to the report, the case was dismissed by the magistrates on the evidence of the witnesses called for the prosecution, two of them being police constables; whether one witness, Constable Foy, denied having seen the defendant where he was charged with being drunk and disorderly, but stated—
That he saw him sitting on his own stile, no way misconducting himself;whether another witness, Thomas Kennedy, called for the prosecution, admitted—Having been brought into the police barrack and asked to swear against the prisoner,while he deposed to not having seen him at all on the night in question; and, whether, under those circumstances, he will cause inquiry to be made into the conduct of Sergeant M'Clintock in this case?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The Local Constabulary Authorities report that the case referred to was dismissed 448 on the technical ground that it was not proved that Hogan was disorderly on the public road. There could be no question as to the fact that he was drunk and disorderly in his own yard. The allegations in the third paragraph are denied. Thomas Kennedy made the statement in Court referred to; but the police doubt its accuracy, for it was Kennedy's mother who had reported at the barrack that Hogan was drunk, and had assaulted Kennedy. The sergeant having asked Kennedy if he would prosecute for the assault, he refused. The sergeant then summoned him as a witness.