§ MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland (1) whether his attention has been called to proceedings connected with Grown prosecutions at the late winter assizes at Cork; (2) is he aware that, in the case of The Crown v. Matthew Murray and Matthew Lyons, charged with a moonlighting offence, 14 jurors were ordered to stand by, by the prosecuting counsel; and that, in the case of Daniel Connell and Edward Connell, charged with manslaughter, eight jurors were similarly treated; and (3) was this action taken by direction or with the sanction of Mr. Attorney General; and, if so, on what grounds were those jurors who are compelled to attend under heavy penalties subjected to this treatment?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.The facts are as stated in the second paragraph. The Crown Solicitor, in setting aside the jurors, acted in conformity with the directions contained in the circular of February, 1894, addressed by the late Government to Crown Solicitors. No special instructions were issued by me in the matter, and I am quite satisfied that in each case the course pursued was essential for the due administration of justice. The jurors were set aside because the Crown Solicitor had reasons to believe that the jurors if sworn would not be likely to give an impartial verdict.
§ MR. ATKINSONCertainly, Sir, whenever the circumstances render it desirable.