§ MR. MACVEAGHTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state on what grounds the police withdrew the summonses issued against William Kelly and Joseph Hughes for assaulting John M'Kernan at Pomeroy, county Tyrone, on October 28th; and whether any summons has been issued against the same persons for drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am informed by the police authorities that the summonses referred to in the first part of the Question were not issued by the police but by M'Kernan himself. Before the hearing M'Kernan withdrew the summonses of his own motion. The police took out summonses against Kelly and Hughes for drunkenness on the date on which the alleged assault was committed,
See Col. 941.933 but the magistrate who signed the summonses afterwards cancelled them, stating that in the interests of the peace of the town it was better, now that M'Kernan had withdrawn his summonses, that there should be no prosecution against these men, having regard to the opinion which he entertained of their character.