§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been tailed to the reports of the proceedings at the trial of the rioters at Ballinahinch Petty Sessions, county Down, on Tuesday last; whether he is aware that the Crown solicitor stated that on the night of the riot the town had been delivered into the hands of the mob for nearly three hours, and the sergeant of police had to arm his men and place them in front of the barracks, and that notwithstanding the evidence of rioting and the part taken therein by the accused, the Ballinahinch justices refused to send the accused forward for trial; whether the resident magistrate protested against this decision, and strongly expressed his dissent; and what course the Government propose to adopt under the circumstances?
§ MR. ATKINSON (for Mr. GERALD BALFOUR)The facts are substantially as stated in the Question, save that the accused, with the exception of three, were bound over to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months. It was, I think, the duty of the justices to have returned some of the accused for trial, but having regard to the fact that the accused have entered into the required sureties, and that the Government are advised that, in the result, the course adopted will probably conduce more to the preservation of the public peace than if the accused had been returned for 1218 trial, it is not intended to proceed further with the prosecution at present.
§ MR. DILLONIn consequence of the answer I have received, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this Question when the Chief Secretary's salary conies up for consideration.