§ DR. TANNERI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the cesspayers of the County, or a portion of the County, of Cork have been condemned to pay £1,000 indemnity to Constable Timothy Courtney, who was severely beaten, and unfortunately lost an eye, in a conflict with a number of drunken Militiamen at Whitegate, County Cork, on the 21st ultimo; and whether it is usual for civilians in any locality to be made responsible for outrage or misdemeanour perpetrated by military?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Constabulary Authorities report that it is the case that the Constable Courtney mentioned has been awarded by the Grand Jury of the County Cork £1,000 compensation, to be levied off the county at large, in respect of a serious assault committed on him while in discharge of his duty by Militiamen, resulting in the loss Of his eye. Such serious assaults by military on the police are, I am glad to say, most unusual. Indeed, so far as the Constabulary Authorities are aware, this is the only instance of such an assault calling for compensation under the Grand Jury Acts.
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the cesspayers of a county are responsible at law for damage caused in an assault committed by members of Her Majesty's Military Forces; and especially I would ask whether the cesspayers of Cork are responsible for the alleged violence of Militia brought from another part of the country? These were not members of 314 the Cork Militia; I believe they came from Limerick.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no ground for doubting that the action of the Grand Jury is legal, but perhaps the hon. Member will be good enough to put his question to my right hon. Friend the Attorney General for Ireland. The matter is altogether outside the jurisdiction of the Executive.
§ DR. TANNERWill the right hon. Gentleman say if these were not the Cork Militia?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt is very probable that is so. I have no knowledge. The hon. Member for West Belfast says the Militia were from another county, and I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of that statement.