§ MR. O'DOHERTYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the average annual cost of holding the winter assizes throughout Ireland during the past five years; and whether, with a view of saving this cost, the Government will consider the advisability of altering the existing procedure, in order to arrange that the spring and summer assizes may be divided into two equal half-years, and thereby obviate the necessity for holding a winter assize, and the infliction of hardships on the counties or cities in which winter assizes are held.
§ MR. ATKINSONAt my right hon. friend's request, I will reply to this question. It would require considerable labour to ascertain with any precision the additional cost of winter assizes, and no commensurate public advantage would be gained by it. The change suggested in the question would inflict great hardship on persons in custody awaiting trial, and would dislocate to some extent the present system of administration. So far from hardship being inflicted on the counties and cities where winter assizes are held, there is keen competition amongst these counties and cities for the honour and benefit they derive.