§ MR. O'DOWD (Sligo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, in the cases of alleged malicious burning of heather in Sligo county which were heard at the recent quarter sessions in Sligo the solicitor to the county council, who is also the Crown solicitor for the same county, has publicly announced his attention of appealing from the judge's decision to the Court of Assize; and whether he proposes to take steps against the Irish newspapers who have commented on these cases while still pending.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON, Londonderry, N.)At the request of my right hon. friend I will reply to this question. The answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. My attention has not been called to any comments on these cases calculated to interfere with the due administration of justice. No proceedings will, therefore, be instituted by the Crown, but if the parties interested are of a different opinion they can proceed by the same methods as are open to the Crown.