§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELL (Kerry, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state how many Roman Catholics attended as jurors at last Kerry assizes, how many were ordered to stand aside in the trial of the Glencar prisoners, and on what grounds was such an order given; and can he explain why those prisoners who had given substantial bail for their appearance at the trial, and whom the jury acquitted, were conveyed hand- 245 cuffed in pairs through the streets of Tralee to the county gaol.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI have no information as to the religious composition of the panel. The number of jurors on the panel was 100, of whom 69 answered. In answer to the second paragraph, when the hearing of the cases was adjourned overnight on the 12th instant, application was made to the Lord Chief Justice for the admission of the accused to bail, but this application was refused by the learned judge. The prisoners were then conveyed by car, handcuffed, to the gaol; they were not marched through the streets. They were handcuffed by order of the gaoler, who, as responsible for their safe custody until finally dealt with by the, Court, was bound to take every necessary precaution for their safe keeping.
§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELLCan you state the number who were ordered to stand by?
§ MR. WYNDHAMFifty-four.
§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)Are prisoners in similar circumstances in England handcuffed?
§ MR. WYNDHAMThat is a hypothetical question that it would be very difficult to answer.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI am perfectly aware of that. Under similar circumstances prisoners have sometimes not come up.
COLONEL NOLAN (Galway, N.)Cannot the right hon. Gentleman take steps to prevent these things occurring?
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt is in the discretion of the officials who are responsible for the safe keeping of the prisoners.
MR, TULLY (Leitrim, S.)Do you know that the condition of bail bonds is that they are to last from day to day?
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!