§ MR. E. CREAN (Queen's County, Ossory)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been called to the observations of Mr. Justice Holmes, in the ease of perjury against Annie Barrett at the recent Cork Assizes, when it appeared that Barrett, in order to get her children into an industrial school, consulted the Head Constable at Queenstown; whether he is aware that the Head Constable told her that the children would have to be caught begging and followed them out of the barrack and gave the children some coppers, and then brought her before the petty sessions for begging; that the judge characterised the whole thing as collusion and fraud on the Act of Parliament, and directed the jury to acquit the woman as it was not Annie Parrett but somebody else who was to blame; and, whether a constabulary inquiry has been or will be held into the conduct of the Head Constable?
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts of this case appear to be stated with substantial accuracy. It is not proposed to hold a Constabulary Court of Inquiry, as the facts are not in dispute, bur, the conduct of the Head Constable is now engaging consideration.