§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland is he aware that, at the present Cork Spring Assizes, in connection with the trial of John Murphy on the charge of the murder of Kate M'Carthy, thirty-seven jurors were ordered to stand aside; can he say how many of these challenged jurors were Catholics; and was this course adopted with the sanction of the Irish Law Officers.
§ THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON, Londonderry, N.)The Crown, solicitor reports that the number of jurors ordered to stand aside was thirty-four, not thirty-seven; that he did not know and did not make any inquiry as to the religion of the jurors set aside, nor was he in any way influenced by any consideration of the kind; that he acted in pursuance of the provisions of the Circular to Crown Solicitors dated the 12th February, 1894; and that, so far as he has been able to ascertain since the trial concluded and is able to form an opinion, ten of the twelve jurors who tried the case are Catholics. The reply to the last query is in the affirmative.
§ MR. FLYNNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that thirty-four of the jurors were Catholics? Is it intended to continue a system so offensive?
§ MR. ATKINSONI am not aware of it, and I do not believe it.
§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)I see the Solicitor-General for Ireland has returned from his jury-packing campaign in Cork. Has he nothing to say on this serious matter?
§ [No Answer was returned.]