§ MR. SPEAKER informed the House that he had received the following letter relating to the Imprisonment of a Member—
§ Sligo,
§ 17th Oct., 1902.
§ Sir,—I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Patrick Aloysius M'Hugh, M.P. for North Leitrim, was yesterday convicted of conspiracy and intimidation and sentenced by me and Mr. Harrell, R.M., to a term of two calendar months imprisonment in Sligo Gaol with hard labour. Against this conviction Mr. M'Hugh has appealed to the nest Quarter Sessions here, which begin on 25th inst.
§ I have the honour to be, Sir,
§ Your obedient servant,
§ ROBERT L. BROWN, R.M.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S)In this case the conviction took place on Thursday or Friday. Now, Sir, is it not within your knowledge that Mr. M'Hugh has has appealed and is out of custody? I again ask under what circumstances the fact of the arrest of several other hon. Gentlemen who have been imprisoned has not in the same way been communicated to you.
§ * MR. SPEAKERI would suggest to the hon. Member that, as there are Questions on the Paper intended to elicit information on this point, he would do well to defer raising the question until they have been answered.
§ * MR. DELANY (Queen's County, Ossory)I was in the Court at Birr on September 23, when two hon. Members were sentenced to imprisonment by two Removable Magistrates, and I desire to ask the Speaker whether he has received any communication in respect of the two hon. Members.
§ * MR SPEAKERI have received an intimation in regard to the hon. Member for the Birr Division, and also as to another hon. Member whose name I cannot, at the moment, remember.