§ MR. O'DOWD (Sligo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, at the petty sessions court recently held in Riverstown, county Sligo, nine young men were sentenced under the Act of Edward the Third to a term of six months imprisonment in default of giving bail, the charge being that they intimidated a man named Lavin by playing loud music when passing his door; whether this same Lavin was charged before the same tribunal with firing two shots from a revolver at a group of men who were passing, and acquitted; and whether he will explain why the Crown did not 1178 bring forward these cases under the ordinary law instead of under the statute referred to.
§ MR. ATKINSONNine men were summoned to Riverstown Petty Sessions on the 2nd instant because they had been members of a disorderly crowd which had intimidated Michael Lavin by groaning, beating drums, and indulging in other offensive noises. They were ordered by the magistrates to provide sureties for their good behaviour, or, in default, to be imprisoned for one month, not six as stated. Three of the defendants gave the required bail, the other six elected to go to prison. Lavin was prosecuted, as stated in the second paragraph, for discharging his revolver at a man named Coulin. The magistrates, however, dismissed the charge, as they were satisfied that Lavin fired the weapon in the air, and merely with the object of frightening his persecutors. In reply to the last paragraph, the hon. Member is under a misapprehension; the proceedings were under the ordinary law.
§ MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, N)Was the direction in which the pistol bullet went identified?
§ MR. TULLYWill the right hon. Gentleman indicate his opinion to the magistrates that they should not come from their own districts to try these cases?
§ MR. O'DOWDWas the majority of the Bench made up of magistrates-from other petty sessional benches?
§ [No answer was returned.]