§ MR. ROWNTREE (Scarborough)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the report of the trial of Mr. Finucane, M.P., Mr. Sheehy, M.P., and Mr. Moran, at Limerick, on Monday, from which it appears that, although Judge Purcell stated that Mr. Sheehy, M.P., and Mr. Moran might go out if they wished to do so, District Inspector Royse replied openly in Court, "I won't allow them to go out. I am responsible for their custody here," and that the Judge had to repeat his instructions before the constabulary permitted them to be complied with; if it is permitted to a District Inspector in Ireland to refuse to carry out the instructions of a Judge in his own Court; and if any, and what, communications have been made to Inspector Royse by the authorities with regard to his conduct on this occasion?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURDistrict Inspector Royse states that the report mentioned is utterly misleading. The facts are that during the trial of Mr. Sheehy, M.P., and Mr. Moran, these gentlemen being about to leave, the District Inspector prevented them. They appealed to the Judge, who said they might be allowed to do so, and the Judge further stating, in reply to an inquiry from the District Inspector, that it was not necessary that they should be accompanied by an escort, they were at once allowed to leave the Court. There does not appear to have been any repetition by the Judge of his instructions, nor any necessity for such, the incident not having occupied a minute's time.