§ MR. DILLONOn behalf of the hon. Member for South Louth (Mr. R. M'GHEE), I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the action of the County Louth Grand Jury, at Dundalk on 1st July, in awarding £50 compensation for malicious injury to Mr. Robert Parkes, to the evidence of the police, and expert evidence at the Inquiry; and whether, in view of what occurred in this case, he can give an undertaking that the Government will consider the desirability of proposing legislation with a view to check 1316 the power of grand juries to award compensation for malicious injury?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIn this case the Grand Jury of County Louth at the recent Assizes awarded Mr. Parkes a sum of £50 as compensation for the malicious injury to his horse in December last. I have seen a report of the statements of the witnesses examined before the Grand Jury. It was open to the ratepayers to traverse the award before the Judge of Assize, but this they failed to do. I see no sufficient grounds for proposing legislation with a view to check the power of Grand Juries to award compensation for malicious injuries.