§ MR. LUNDON (Limerick, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the fact that he saw no evidence that Sergeant Sheridan had burned Mrs. Quinlan's hay, he yet recommended compensation to the mother of Con Bray, 44 whom Sheridan prosecuted and convicted for the offence; and, in view of the fact that Murphy, who was imprisoned on the testimony of Sergeant Sheridan for the mutilation and killing of Michael Cregan's ass in the same locality, was afterwards compensated on the recomendation of the Chief Secretary, will he recommend that the Constabulary authorities, or whatever other Department compensated Mrs. Bray and Murphy, shall refund their respective moneys to the tax-payers which were levied on them for this compensation, seeing that the various sums can be ascertained from the books of the rate collector of that time and from the books of the gentleman who was then secretary of the Grand Jury, which are now in the custody of the secretary of the Limerick County Council.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI said. Sir, on the 22nd that I had no evidence to prove that Sheridan burned Mrs. Quinlan's hay. I pointed out the difficulty of tracing the ratepayers nearly four years ago. On the merits of whether the sums collected should be repaid to the County Council I gave no opinion, but expressed my readiness to consider a request from that Body. I have nothing more to add.
§ MR. LUNDONI will furnish the right hon. Gentleman with a complete list of the ratepayers who paid four years ago.