MR. CATHCART WASONI beg to ask the Lord-Advocate if his attention has been called to a shooting case at Beaufort Castle, in Scotland; and will he say what steps are being taken to punish the offender.
§ MR. WEIRI beg also to ask the Lord - Advocate whether he is aware that one of the sons of Mr. Phipps, the occupant of Beaufort Castle, Inverness-shire, recently fired at the four occupants of a boat on a river on the estate, and shot in the face John Allan Eraser, an employee of Lord Lovat, wounding him so severely as to necessitate the removal of one eye, the condition of the other being almost hopeless; will he state whether Mr. Phipps, the assailant, has been placed under arrest; if not, will he explain why this has not been done; and whether it is proposed to hold a public inquiry into the circumstances of the case.
MR. SCOTT DICKSONBeyond seeing the newspaper reports my attention was not specially called to the occurrence 563 until the hon. Members' Questions appeared on the Paper—nor was it necessary that it should, as such a case required to be inquired into at once by the Procurator-Fiscal in the ordinary course of his duty, and this was done. I regret to say that Fraser has lost one eye and the other has been seriously injured, though it is hoped it may be saved. Messrs. John and Henry Phipps were yesterday charged before the sheriff and committed for trial. The sheriff has released them on bail of £500 each. The precise form of the further proceedings in the matter are being considered by counsel.
§ MR. WEIRWill the right hon. Gentleman see that these men, who are certainly undesirable aliens, are kept under strict police supervision?