§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin County, N)I wish to ask, with respect to the war rants for the arrest of the hon. Members for South Louth and East Clare, why the usual practice has been departed from by issuing a warrant instead of summons?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAs the hon. Member is aware, a summons is not a legal document in this country. I much prefer proceeding by summons, only unfortunately I discovered that when that mode of procedure was adopted hon. Gentlemen have too often taken advantage of the circumstance to evade the summons, and have careered about the country pursued by the police.
§ MR. GILL (Louth, S.)I will ask the right hon. Gentleman if, on the last occasion I was proceeded against, I did not answer the summons and appear?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt is rather difficult to make a distinction between those hon. Members who did obey the summons and those who did not. I find that the Members for North-East Cork, East Clare, West Cork, South 711 Galway, and West Waterford all disobeyed summonses in 1887. I then reverted to warrants, and afterwards to the original and much more preferable system. The result has been that in 1889 the Members for North-East Cork and Mid Cork and Father M'Fadden disobeyed the summonses.
§ MR. CLANCYIs it intended to execute those warrants in this country before the discussion on the Irish Estimates is completed?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe warrants were issued a few days ago.
§ MR. CLANCYWill the right hon. Gentleman answer the question I have just asked—namely, whether the warrants will be executed in this country before the Irish Estimates have been discussed?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt does not rest with me to execute them. I see no reason why the execution should be deferred.
§ MR. CLANCYThen I will put the question to the Home Secretary.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I must ask for notice of the question.
§ MR. CLANCYCertain warrants have been issued in Ireland for the arrest of certain Members in England, and I ask the Home Secretary whether it is his intention to authorize the execution of those warrants before the discussion of the Irish Estimates is concluded?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI have not heard of the warrants from the police; but if the hon. Gentleman will look at the statutes on the subject, he will see they make no exception in regard to Estimates or otherwise.
§ MR. CLANCYWill the right hon. Gentleman give a straightforward answer to my question?
§ MR. MATTHEWSIt is my distinct intention to carry out what is required by the law, and to execute any legal warrant that may come into my custody without the slightest reference to other considerations.
§ MR. CLANCYIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the course I suggest was pursued last year?
§ No answer was given to the question.