§ MR. MICHAEL DAVITT (Mayo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that one Patrick Connerly, or Connolly, a convict in Maryborough Prison, undergoing a long sentence for manslaughter, was returned for trial in April I882; that, through remands and adjournments, the trial did not take place until July 1883; and that, of the two other prisoners who were tried with Connolly on the same charge, one of 177 them, named Fon, died a lunatic in Richmond Asylum some years ago, and the other, named Diskin, was discharged last year on the plea of ill-health and died shortly afterwards; and (2) whether, in view of all these facts, he will recommend that the convict Connelly shall be allowed in the working out of his sentence the benefit of the 15 months' imprisonment which lie underwent while awaiting trial, and the sentence be reduced accordingly?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURPatrick Conneely is the name of the convict referred to. Fox died in Dundrum Criminal Lunatic Asylum in July 1889. I have no information that Diskin died shortly after his release on licence in 1895. Otherwise the statements in the first paragraph are correct. An application was recently received from Conneely to be allowed the benefit of the period during which he awaited his trial, and it was decided that there was no ground for a special remission of sentence in his case.
§ MR. DAVITTMay I ask whether it is the custom in this country to make allowance in the working out of a sentence for the time the prisoner is kept awaiting his trial?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI presume all the circumstances were before the Judge.