§ MR. SLOANI beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that a young man named James Reynolds was recently tried at Lisburn Petty Sessions for an assault, and returned for trial on bail; that a merchant of the town and Reynolds' father offered to become bondsmen for his appearance, the former being accepted and the latter rejected by Sergeant Gallagher, Royal Irish Constabulary; that several other gentlemen offered themselves, but this officer also refused to accept them; and whether, in view of the character of the security rejected by Sergeant Gallagher, and the time that Reynolds was kept in goal, he will cause inquiry to be made as to the locus standi of those gentlemen, and the conduct of Sergeant Gallagher regarding the same.
§ MR. ATKINSONI will at the same time reply to my hon. friend's Question No 19. James Reynolds was returned for trial at the Summer Assizes, Belfast, and it was ordered that he should be admitted to bail on entering into recognisances, himself in £100 and two sureties in £50 each, to appear there to take his trial, the police to be satisfied of the fitness of the sureties. John Reynolds, described as a "jarvey," the father of the accused, and two persons named James Taggart, publican and mechanic respectively, who 1342 are father and son, offered themselves as bailsmen. John Reynolds was objected to by the district inspector, after consultation with Sergeant Gallagher, as an unfit person, and the Taggarts were accepted by the police. Some difficulty was raised by the petty sessions clerk as regards James Taggart, junior, and ultimately a second suitable surety was found, and Reynolds was released. Only two persons were objected to by the police on the ground of unfitness, including Reynolds, the father of the accused. The district inspector and sergeant acted bona fide in the exercise of the discretion reprised in them, and there does not seem to be any ground for instituting an inquiry into their conduct. The Sergeant Gallagher referred to in this case is not the sergeant of that name who was transferred from Greencastle.
§ Appended is the second Question referred to in the Answer:—
§ MR. SLOANTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the action of Sergeant Gallagher, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, in the case of James Reynolds, recently charged for assault at Lisburn Petty Sessions and returned for trial on bail, in refusing several gentlemen as sureties for Reynolds' appearance; and whether, seeing that Sergeant Gallagher was transferred from Greencastle about two years ago in the interest of the public service; and in view of the characters of the gentlemen who were rejected as bondsmen by this officer, he will recommend the transfer of Sergeant Gallagher to another district.