§ SIR J. KENNAWAY (Devon, Honiton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to a sentence passed upon the Rev. Handley Bird, a missionary, at Corinbatore, on 12th March, of six months' imprisonment, by the Brahmin District Munsiff, for alleged breach of an injunction, in respect of a convert, to convert one Appu Row, who was in his house, which sentence was confirmed and made binding by Mr. Irvine, the District Judge, who, as stated in the Eastern Star of 28th March, absolutely refused to listen to arguments of the defendant's counsel, but abused him, and called him a born idiot, and emphasised his opinions of the plaintiff, his counsel, and missionaries in general; and whether the facts are as stated in the Eastern Star; and, if so, whether he will take speedy measures for remission of the sentence?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST,) ChathamA Report has been received 1473 from the Government of Madras. It appears that the guardians of a Brahmin boy obtained an injunction in the Munsiff's Court forbidding Mr. Bird to remove the boy from the jurisdiction of the Court pending the result of a trial as to his custody. The boy disappeared, and the Munsiff committed Mr. Bird to prison for contempt of Court. The District Judge, however, while upholding the committal, released Mr. Bird on his undertaking to produce the boy; and the boy having been produced, the order for committal was quashed. Mr. Bird was actually in gaol for one night only.
§ SIR J. KENNAWAYThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered that part of the question which relates to the language alleged to have been used by the District Judge. Was such language used?
§ SIR J. GORSTNo, Sir. I am unable to give any information upon that point. The Government of Madras have not telegraphed the exact language used by the District Judge.