HC Deb 18 November 1902 vol 114 cc1230-1
MR. JOHNSTONE (Sussex, Horsham)

To ask Mr. Attorney General whether he will state when the hon. Member for Galway city was arrested in England; if his arrest was consequent on a communication from the hon. Member himself, and how many times he has been brought before a magistrate and remanded for want of necessary evidence; when was the hon. Member last remanded, and for how long; and can he state when the Crown expect to be able to resume the case against the hon. Member.

(Answered by Sir Robert Finlay.) The arrest took place on the 11th June, 1902. I understand that lie had written a letter, which appeared in the public Press on the 6th day of June, 1902, to say he was coming to England, but the information had been prepared some months before his arrival. There were nine remands, four of them being in consequence of the fact that some of the witnesses had returned to South Africa, in consequence of his not returning to England earlier, and had to be brought back. The evidence was completed, and the committal for trial was made on the 1st August. Notice to summon a grand jury, which is a necessary step in this case, has been given, and there will be no avoidable delay in proceeding to trial.