§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)asked the Solicitor General for Ireland whether his attention had been called to the following statement in the report given in the Daily News of the magisterial examination of the charge of murder against Father M'Fadden and others at Letterkenny—
The evidence being concluded, Dr. Houston, endeavoured in vain to get a statement from Dr. Ross, Crown counsel, as to whether he was proceeding against all the defendants on the charge of murder. He then said that, in the default of the statement he wanted from the Crown, he could not address the magistrates;and whether it was the case that the Crown counsel refused to state whether he was proceeding against all the defendants on the charge of murder; and, if not, what was the charge stated to be?
§ MR. MADDENAll the defendants were charged with murder. The Crown counsel, in opening the case, stated the charge and the law bearing on it. He then placed before the magistrates evidence in support of this charge. Having done this, he was not called on, in response to the defendants' counsel, to do more than refer to his opening statement, which he did. The place of trial has not yet been fixed. The depositions in the case will in due course be laid before the Attorney General for Ireland, who will then exercise his discretion in the matter. As regards the time of trial, it will, in ordinary course, be had at next Assizes.
MR. MAC NEILL (Donegal, S.)Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that it is possible under the Crimes Act to change the venue and to secure a more honest trial than at Belfast?
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!