§ MR. LANEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if it was a fact that the claim of the Land Corporation for the alleged malicious Burning of a house on the Ponsonby estate was fixed at £100 by the Presentment Sessions of Midleton; could he state how many of the magistrates were local Justices; did the Grand Jury of the county of Cork, upon the same evidence, increase this award to £175 for the Land Corporation; how many members of the Grand Jury are members of the Land Corporation; did the Grand Jury award a policeman, who 1014 was living in the house at the time it was burned, a sum of £22 10s. without: any proof that he had lost this sum in the fire; and could he inform the House why the Grand Jury increased the award, and what proof there was that the policeman had this money in the house?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe secretary of the Grand Jury informs me that the reply to the inquiry in the first paragraph is in the affirmative, but that the claim of the Land Commission was £225. Seven of the magistrates were local Justices. The Grand Jury did increase the award to £175. The secretary has no precise information as to the subject of the fourth paragraph, but so far as he is aware, there are only some two or three such members, and they did not vote on the matter. The Grand Jury did not make the award to the policeman without any proof as to his loss. They had before them his sworn testimony. The Grand Jury in fixing the award at £175 evidently considered that the circumstances justified it.