HC Deb 13 March 1888 vol 323 cc1069-70
MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in the prosecution of the hon. Member for South-East Cork (Mr. Hooper) at Cork, 13 charges of publishing reports of suppressed branches of the National League were preferred against him; whether some of these publications occurred during the period that Captain Stokes acted temporarily as Divisional Resident Magistrate; and, if so, whether it was his duty to report to the Castle with reference to these publications; and, whether Captain Stokes subsequently adjudicated as Resident Magistrate at the trial of the hon. Member?

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

(who replied) said: It is a fact that there were 13 charges preferred against the hon. Member referred to of publishing reports of illegal meetings, on two of which he was convicted, the remainder being withdrawn by the Crown. Four of the publications occurred while Captain Stokes was acting as Divisional Magistrate. No Report of any kind was made by him to the Castle with reference to these publications; nor had he anything whatever to do with the papers connected with the trial, or with the institution of the prosecution. He was one of the magistrates who adjudicated at the trial.

MR. DILLON

Does what the right hon. and gallant Gentleman says of Captain Stokes apply only to the two cases on which the hon. Member for South-East Cork was convicted, and not to the remaining charges, which were withdrawn?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I do not quite understand the hon. Member.

MR. DILLON

I wish to ask, whether this statement, that Captain Stokes had nothing whatever to do with the evidence, applies to all the 13 charges, or only to those two on which the hon. Member was convicted?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I understand that Captain Stokes was not aware that any charges had been preferred against the hon. Member until the in-formations were brought to him to be sworn.