§ MR. MACVEAGHI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the trial of a man named Hassan at the last County Derry Assizes on a charge of matricide, whether there was any political or religious element in the case; whether he is aware that the jury found that the accused was insane when he committed the deed; and whether he can state why all the Catholic jurors were ordered to stand aside.
§ MR. ATKINSONThere was no political or religious element in this case. Five jurors in all were ordered to stand by. One of them, when he came to the box, stated he objected to capital punishment, and was ordered to stand by on that account. Another in the same manner stated that he was a publican living in the district where the murder was committed, and that the merits of the case had often been discussed in his presence. In consequence of that statement he was ordered to stand by. The three remaining jurors were ordered to stand by because it was believed by the Crown Solicitor that if sworn they would not give an impartial verdict. I have no information as to the religion of these jurors, and none of them were ordered to stand by on political or religious grounds, and I believe the prisoner did not exhaust his challenges.
§ MR. MACVEAGHIs it not a fact that the only Catholic juror was challenged, and that it was an exclusively Orange jury?
§ MR. ATKINSONI do not know what was the religion of the challenged juror. I deny altogether that an exclusively Orange jury was empanelled.
§ MR. MACVEAGHIt was the usual packed jury.