§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether, in view of the statements made by several persons examined by County Inspector Scott, on the 27th and 29th ultimo, at the Inquiry held by him at Ennistymon regarding the charges brought against District Inspector Hugging and Head Constable Murnane, he will grant, as has been already solicited, a full and impartial sworn Inquiry into those charges?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe charges referred to were made by an anonymous letter-writer, and an informal Inquiry was ordered to be held into the allegations so preferred. This is the Inquiry to which reference is made in the first part of the question; and the Officer who conducted it has made a full report on the subject, and is of opinion that the charges have not been substantiated. It would be contrary to practice to hold a sworn investigation into charges preferred anonymously; but if the writer of the letter, over his own name, makes a specific charge, the propriety of directing a Court of Inquiry with power to swear witnesses will be then considered.