§ MR. TUITE (Westmeath, N.)asked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, with reference to the assurance frauds at Belfast, Whether he can now state what steps have been taken to bring to justice the parties responsible for the issue of the policy on the life of Finlay M 'Cance, esquire, J.P., which was obtained in favour of Mr. James Henderson, proprietor of The Belfast News Letter, by means of misrepresentation, and by the forgery of the name of Mr. M 'Cance; whether he can state if the proposal on the life of Mr. M 'Cance was admittedly signed by Mr. Henderson; whether this proposal contained several gross misrepresentations, which induced the issue of the policy by the Company; and whether the name of Mr. Henderson, who obtained the policy was sent forward to the Attorney General with the names of others now on their trial, charged, among other things, with having attempted to obtain policies which were not issued; and, whether the Government intend to take any further proceedings in this matter?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN) (Dublin University)As I have already stated to the hon. Member in reply to previous Questions, I must refuse to answer any Questions relating to the particular facts of this case to which he has referred, pending the proceedings which are now going on.
§ THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)begged to give Notice that at the earliest opportunity he should call attention to the fact that the Government instituted proceedings against certain persons charged with making fraudulent applications for insurance policies, while they had refrained from instituting a criminal prosecution against the proprietor of The Belfast News Letter, who was charged with having actually obtained a fraudulent policy, and would move—
That, in the interests of public justice, it was not desirable that the Government should refrain from proceeding with a public investi- 1554 gation into a criminal charge when the person charged was the publisher of a newspaper in their interest.