§ MR. EDWARD HARRINGTON (Kerry, W.)(for Mr. PINKERTON) (Galway) asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that Mr. James Giffin, merchant, Ballymena, on the 7th of May last, ordered a summons from the Clerk of Petty Sessions against Constable Haughny, for abusive language; whether the Clerk filled the summons, and handed it to Alexander Bell, summons server, to have it signed by a magistrate; whether Bell went to the Hon. John Young, J.P., D.L., and requested him to sign the summons; whether Mr. Young, after refusing to sign it, tore the summons into pieces, threw them at his feet, and said to the process server—"You can report me, if you like;" and, whether, under these circumstances, the attention of the Lord Chancellor will be called to the matter?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)It is the case that the magistrate referred to refused to sign the document presented to him, requiring that the case should be proceeded with by civil summons. An application for a civil summons was a few days afterwards made at the Court of Petty Sessions, at the suggestion of Mr. Young, before the magistrates, who were unanimous in refusing it, thus showing that the magistrate had exercised a proper discretion. I do not think that, under these circumstances, it was necessary that the attention of the Lord Chancellor should be called to it.
§ MR. EDWARD HARRINGTONasked that he might be allowed to draw the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to what appeared to him to be the gravamen of the matter—namely, that Mr. Young, J.P., D.L., tore up the information and threw it at his feet and said—" You can report me if you like."
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid, Mr. Young was not at home, and he could not answer the Question contained in the last paragraph but one.