MR. MAC NEILLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, is it a fact that Father M'Fadden and the other prisoners, to the number of 38, charged with an alleged complicity in the murder of District Inspector Martin, were last Saturday further remanded by the magistrates till Saturday, 23rd March; how many times have Father M'Fadden and the other prisoners been remanded by the Magistrates from 3rd February, the date of their arrest, till the present time; is he aware that, on each magisterial investigation and remand, the prisoners are conveyed by special train to and fro between Derry Gaol and Letterkenny, a distance of over 20 miles; is the special train ordered by the Government, as stated by County Inspector Hayes to the hon. Member for South Donegal; if so, under what heading in the Estimates will this expense be included; is he aware that, on Monday, 4th March, Mr. Hamilton, R.M., in the presence of three of the Members of Parliament for the county Donegal, at Letterkenny, censured the conduct of the Government in asking for these repeated remands, and only consented to give a remand till the following Thursday; could he explain the reasons which have induced the same Resident Magistrate to grant several remands since that time; and will Father M'Fadden and the other prisoners, if not discharged but returned for trial next Saturday, be precluded by these delays from standing their trial at the present Assizes?
§ MR. WOODALL (Hanley)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the question, I wish to ask him if it is true that Father M'Fadden has been remanded seven times and taken backwards and forwards from Derry to Letterkenny and from Letterkenny to Gweedore?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I cannot answer the question of the hon. Member for Hanley without notice. The answer to the question on the paper is that the prisoners arrested in connection with the murder of District Inspector Martin, though not to the number of 38, were remanded on Saturday until March 23rd. There appear to have been, in all, three or four remands. The prisoners were conveyed by special train. The cost will come under the Constabulary Vote. Mr. Hamilton, R.M., did not censure the Government, but expressed an opinion that another remand should not be asked for without evidence being given. The Resident Magistrate since granted a remand no doubt because he thought there were grounds for so doing. The prisoners, if not returned for trial before Saturday next, could not, I understand, be tried at the present Assizes.