§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)asked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the report in The Northern Whig of June 11, of proceedings at the Petty Sessions held at Cookstown, County Tyrone, on the previous day, in which Mr. W. J. Glasgow, proprietor of an extensive drapery establishment in that town, was charged with riotous and indecent behaviour on May 14; whether, at the trial, the solicitor for Mr. Glasgow stated he was instructed that a magistrate then on the Bench had instigated the prosecution for the purpose of injuring Mr. Glasgow in his business; whether the charge was dismissed by the magistrates; and, if he can state who was the prosecutor, and on what grounds the prosecution was initiated?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN) (Dublin University), in reply, said, his attention had been called to the case by the Question of the hon. Member. The summons was issued by the Town Clerk. The charge was dismissed by the magistrates, there being no evidence against the defendant. The solicitor for the defence did make the statement mentioned in the second paragraph of the Question; but the Town Clerk, who prosecuted, said there was not a shadow of foundation for the assertion. From the Report before him (Mr. Madden) the case appeared to be one of mistaken identity.