§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the recent proceedings before the police magistrate in Dublin in the case of Mr. Peter Leech, a member of the licensed trade; whether he is aware that the charge against Mr. Leech was made by a police sergeant named McElroy, whose sworn testimony the magistrate refused to believe, and whose action in the case he stated that he would report to the Commissioner of Police before he had heard the evidence for the accused or the statement of his legal representative; and will he say whether such a report has been received, and what action is the Government going to take.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) In this case the magistrate dismissed the complaint against Mr. Leech with a caution. In the course of the hearing the magistrate characterised the sergeant's evidence, relating to the production of a notebook, as contradictory and inaccurate, but did not say that he disbelieved the sergeant's evidence upon the main issue. The Chief Commissioner suitably admonished the sergeant for his carelessness, but was satisfied that he made no wilful misstatement.