HC Deb 18 March 1901 vol 91 cc249-50
MR. O'SHEE (Waterford, W.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state how many jurors were ordered by the Crown to stand aside at the recent Waterford assizes in the case of the alleged conspiracy at Tallow, county Waterford; and can he give the grounds on which the Crown Solicitor directed John Power and other jurors to stand aside, and state the proportion of the entire panel directed to stand aside.

MR. ATKINSON

With the permission of my right hon. friend, I will reply to this question. There were 120 jurors on the panel in the case referred to. The number of jurors ordered to stand by by the Crown in the case referred to was forty-three. The Crown Solicitor ordered the juror named to stand by, as he did all others, in the discharge of the duty expressly imposed upon him by the circular letter of February, 1894—namely, that while abstaining from requiring any juror to stand by on account of his political or religious opinions he should "direct to stand by all such persons as ho should have reason to believe were likely to be hindered from giving an impartial verdict, by favour towards the accused or fear of the consequences to their persons, property, or trade."

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

Were these forty-three men ordered to stand aside because their religion has been declared by the King to be abominable and idolatrous?

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! Hon. Members must not attempt to debate the answers.