HC Deb 05 March 1888 vol 323 cc178-80
MR. EDWARD HARRINGTON (Kerry, W.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether prosecutions against the news-vendors, J. D. Brosnan and John Green, at Killarney, were withdrawn by the Crown a couple of days before the 29th February; whether two days after the 29th February Pat Ferriter was sentenced at Dingle to three months' imprisonment for soiling copies of United Ireland; how many, and what, terms of imprisonment has Ferriter got under the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act; and, what magistrates sentenced him on each occasion?

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)

(who replied) said: The prosecutions against Green and Brosnan were withdrawn at Killarney by the Crown on the 21st of February. Ferriter was sentenced to three months' imprisonment on the 2nd of March at Dingle Petty Sessions before Messrs. Irwin, R.M., and Roche, R.M., for selling newspapers containing reports of alleged meetings of an unlawful Association in the County Kerry. There are two other convictions against this man in which the proceedings were also conducted under the recent Statute—one in December, 1887, when he was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment for an assault on the police, the case being tried before Mr. Roche, R.M., and Captain Welch, R.M.; the other, in January, 1888, likewise for assaulting the police, when he was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, Messrs. Irwin, R.M., and Roche, R.M., forming the Court.

MR. EDWARD HARRINGTON

Does the right hon. and gallant Gentleman know any of the circumstances of these assaults on the police? Does he know that this was a lame man who was sent to gaol for assaulting the police; and was not the assault merely a constructive one, the man being charged merely with forcing his way into a meeting. Would the right hon. and gallant Gentleman tell us why the prosecutions against Green and Brosnan for the same offence were abandoned on the 21st of February; and why the prosecution of Ferriter was commenced a few days afterwards?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I cannot give the hon. Gentleman an answer to the last Question. I do not know anything at all about the nature of the assaults on the police for which Ferriter was imprisoned.

MR. EDWARD HARRINGTON

May I ask, whether this is the same man who was sentenced to two months' imprisonment for shouting out to the police reporter at a meeting, "Take that down, Stringer?"

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I have no knowledge of the facts.

MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)

Can the right hon. and gallant Gentleman explain to us why it is that proceedings are taken against the newsvendors whilst the publishers of the newspapers are not interfered with?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I think if the right hon. Gentleman studies the Act he will find ample reason for proceeding against the newsvendors.

MR. JOHN MORLEY

That is not the point. It may be as the right hon. and gallant Gentleman says; but are there not ample reasons for proceeding equally against the publishers of papers containing reports of these suppressed meetings?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I think I must ask the right hon. Gentleman to give Notice of the Question. He has been Chief Secretary himself.

MR. JOHN MORLEY

Quite so; but when I was Chief Secretary this Act did not exist.

Subsequently,

MR. EDWARD HARRINGTON

said: As I see the Chief Secretary is now in his place, I would ask him, with regard to this Question that I have asked, whether his personal attention has been directed to this case of Ferriter; and will he kindly explain what is the policy of sentencing this man Ferriter to three months' imprisonment for selling newspapers concurrently with the withdrawal of prosecutions against two men in Killarney for the same offence; and, whether the barony in which this has occurred has not been the quietest barony in Kerry; and, whether a murder or a serious outrage has ever occurred in this barony?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

Perhaps the hon. Member will be good enough to put his Question on the Notice Paper.