§ MR. HAYDEN (Leitrim, S.)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the cases of seamen who were recently sentenced by the resident magistrates at Ballaghaderrin, county Mayo, Petty Sessions, to imprisonment for a month and a day for alleged obstruction of the police in the discharge of their duty at Lissacal, county Roscommon, and who served formal notices of appeal to the next quarter sessions for the division, which take place at Athlone on the 22nd instant, can be tried at a more convenient place than Athlone, which is at the opposite end of the county to that in which the defendants reside, being nearly 50 miles distant; whether he was aware that there will also be Quarter Sessions at Castlerea on the 29th March for the same division of the county, which is only seven miles from the defendants; and whether, in view of the fact that the defendants are too poor to defray the expense of travelling to and attending at Athlone, he would consent to a postponement of the cases from Athlone to Castlerea Quarter Sessions on the 29th instant?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am unable to answer the Question on account of insufficient notice.
§ MR. HAYDENAs the Quarter Sessions meet on Friday, will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiry?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURInquiry has been made already, but I have not received information that would enable me to answer the question.