§ MR. T. J. HEALY (Wexford, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that, at the Petty Sessions held at Gorey on Friday, the 14th inst., three publicans, named Webb, Fortune, and Kehoe, were tried in open court for offences under the Licensing Acts, with the result that Kehoe was fined £2, and the cases against the others were dismissed; and that, on the same day, another publican, named Pelan, was also tried in camera for being drunk and disorderly on his own licensed premises, with the result that Pelan was fined five shillings. (2) Who is responsible for having the case against Pelan heard in camera; and if he can state why a distinction was made between his case and the cases of the other three publicans. (3) Whether it is customary to have offences against the Licensing Acts heard in camera. And (4) whether he will direct an Inquiry into the matter?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe first paragraph accurately sets forth the facts except that the date of the Petty Sessions was the 7th inst., and that the case against James Pelan was not heard in camera. What happened on the occasion was that the case was taken out of its order on the application of Pelan's solicitor and to meet his convenience; but it was tried in open court and not in camera.