§ MR. ENGLEDOWI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that the cabin which was said to have been maliciously burned down on the lands 462 of Lieutenant-Colonel John James Eustace was situated at the junction of three townlands, Moyle, Kellistown, and Kyleballyhue; that the Grand Jury of county Carlow, in fixing the special area over which the amount of compensation and costs granted to Lieutenant-Colonel Eustace were to be levied, exempted the townlands of Moyle and Kellistown, and levied the entire amount on Kyle-ballyhue and Castletown, also that certain members of the Grand Jury have a large interest in the townlands of Moyle and Kellistown, while the townland of Castletown is some distance away, and the owner of that properly is not represented on the Grand Jury; and, if he will state, what law or precedent justifies the Grand Jury when fixing the area over which the compensation was to be levied in exempting two of the adjoining townlands, Moyle and Kellistown, and fixing the whole amount on Castletown and Kyleballyhue?
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURI have no information as to the position of the cottage that was maliciously destroyed, nor am I able to say that certain members of the Grand Jury have a large interest, or any interest, in the townlands exempted from the operation of the levy. The other two townlands adjoin one another, and the owner of Castletown is a lady who could not be. represented on the Grand Jury. The area of the levy is entirely discretionary with the Grand Jury, under Section 135 of the Act 6 & 7 William IV., cap. 116.
§ MR. ENGLEDOWI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland if he will state upon what legal authority the county Carlow Grand Jury on the 13th instant passed a presentment for £12 to Mr. Charles H. Thorpe, solicitor, for preparing and registering the bonds of six barony constables appointed at the previous assizes, and pay. £24 a year to that gentleman for that service; and whether the cost of preparing these bonds should be borne by the barony constables themselves; under what authority and by whose instructions Mr. Thorpe performed this work, and, whether Mr. Thorpe also charges the, six barony constables £1 each for these bonds, in addition to the amount paid by the Grand Jury?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. ATKINSON, () Londonderry, N.These bonds were prepared and registered by Mr. Thorpe by the authority and at the request of the Grand Jury, who passed a presentment for such sum as, I presume, they considered he was entitled to receive for his services. I do not know, and do not intend to inquire, whether Mr. Thorpe charged the barony constables any sum for the preparation of their bonds; and I have again to point out to the hon. Member, as I have frequently done before, that the Executive have no control over, or responsibility for, the action of the Grand Jury in the administration of their fiscal affairs.