§ SIR JOHN SWINBURNE (Staffordshire, Lichfield)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has-been called to a letter of Herbert Smellie, "an Englishman and a Protestant of over 37 years' residence in Ireland," in the Pall Mall Gazette, of Thursday, 25th July, in which letter Mr. Smellie states that at the recent Summer Assizes held at Maryborough the Special Jury upon which he, Herbert Smellie, served was packed; and, whether he will have an independent inquiry made into all the circumstances of the case?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no official knowledge of the matter referred to. I understand that the defendants exercised the right of challenging, and the Crown its right of ordering to stand by. If there is any suggestion that there was any impropriety in the empanelling of the jury, it is altogether without foundation.
§ MR. MACNEILLIn the letter in question Mr. Smellie speaks of every Becond man on the panel having been, ordered to stand aside, and it has been proved that since the passing of the last Coercion Act jury packing has been, systematically practised at Mary borough, particularly in cases where the venue has been changed. MR. Smellie says—
I am satisfied that justice is not administered here in the impartial way it is in my own country.I would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether these statements, coming from an independent source, do not justify and even demand an inquiry.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I do not think Mr. Smellie's statements-demand or justify an inquiry. If he were as well acquainted with Irish juries as I am I do not think he would 1707 have felt it necessary to write the letter.
§ SIR J. SWINBURNEDoes the right hon. Gentleman maintain the position that no independent inquiry is necessary, in the face of the fact that we have one of the jury asserting, "I maintain that the jury was packed."
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!