§ MR. TULLYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the recent arrests of Timothy Higgins, junior, Ordkeel, Roscommon, and two others, for contempt of court, at the instance of Mr. Roper, Knock-croghery, who under old patent rights claims to prevent certain Saturday markets in Roscommon and arrest peasants and others who attend those markets in ignorance of his claims; (2) whether he will advise the Lord Lieutenant to have these men released from Tullamore Prison; and, (3) whether he will be prepared to promote legislation to amend the law of imprisonment for contempt of court?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am informed that the persons referred to were committed to prison under a writ of attachment issued by the Court of Chancery for breach of an injunction restraining the holding of a fair at Roscommon, to the prejudice of the fair which Mr. Roper is entitled to hold at Knockcroghery, and for disobedience and contempt of the order of the Court. The arrests of these persons have no relation to the ordinary Saturday markets in Roscommon mentioned in the Question. The responsibility for the proceedings in this case rests with the Court of Chancery, and the Executive cannot 1324 interfere in any way. It is not the intention of the Government to promote legislation in the direction suggested in the last paragraph.