§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIENI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether ho has observed that Mr. Samuel P. Harris, who was sentenced by Messrs. Horne and Kelly, resident magistrates, to three months imprisonment with hard labour and an additional term of three months in default of giving bail, for a speech at a public meeting, was described by counsel for the Crown as a Protestant gentleman of the highest respectability; and, seeing that if this sentence had been confirmed it would have disqualified Mr. Harris for membership of the District Council of which he is a member, and that County Court Judge Adams declared that he did not want to add to the sentence any unnecessary degradation, and ordered Mr. Harris to be treated as a first class misdemeanant, whether a copy of Judge Adams's judgment will be furnished to the resident magistrates of Ireland.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt has been the rule to furnish resident magistrates with the authorised judgments of the Superior Courts on questions of law arising upon the administration of the Crimes Act. In this case County Court Judge Adams gave his reasons for altering the punishment awarded by the magistrates. It is obvious that his observations on this subject, which have been published in the Metropolitan and local Press, do not fall within the rule, and it is not proposed to circulate them in the manner suggested.
§ * MR. TULLYMay I ask whether Removable Kelly, who gave this harsh sentence, was one of the noble band of patriots of the Freeman's Journal.
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order‡ I shall have to take strong measures if the hon. Member persists.
§ * MR. TULLYWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake not to draw any more removables from the staff of the Freeman's Journal?)