§ MR. REDDYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will say by whom, or acting on whose authority, was the petty sessions book signed in the name of the hon. Member for the Birr Division at Moystown petty sessions in April last; and in view of the fact that the order in one of the cases was varied subsequent to the courts adjourning, will he grant a full inquiry into the matter.
MR. BRYCEI am informed that the name of the hon. Member was entered in the petty session order book by the clerk of petty sessions. If the magistrates themselves do not enter their names in the book, the clerk is empowered and directed to do so, and in the present instance the hon. Member does not appear to have entered his name. The granting of time to find bail was not part of the formal order of the court, and the order therefore was not varied. I am informed that the hon. Member himself was opposed to the granting of time for the defendant to find the necessary sureties. The other two magistrates, however, gave the defendant three days in which to do so, and subsequently extended this time until May 10th. The hon. Member bad left the court when this extension was granted. The defendant has since given the required bail. I have no power to order an inquiry into any matter concerning the judicial action of magistrates.
§ MR. REDDYIf three judges sat in the Court of the Kings Bench in Ireland and made an order, would two of them be 369 allowed to vary it after the other one had left.
MR. BRYCEPossibly there has been some irregularity, but I gather that no substantial injustice has been caused, although, no doubt, it would appear from the book that the hon. Member had been a party to proceedings which he did not approve.
§ MR. REDDYYou say no injustice has been done. But it is the work of the magistrates, who would not give a tenant a single hour's grace.
§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)How does the right hon. Gentleman justify this irregularity?
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)Will the right hon. Gentleman grant a Royal Commission to inquire into this matter? The allegation is that after the court was up and the magistrates had dispersed, two of them went back and varied an order which had been entered in the order book. That is a manifest irregularity, and I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will have full inquiry made into the circumstances.
BRYCEI do not know exactly what did happen. I rather gather the court continued after the hon. Member had left.
§ MR. REDDYI asked the clerk if there was any more business, as is usual in petty sessions, and was informed there was not, so I left.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDWill the right hon. Gentleman make inquiry?
MR. BRYCEIf the hon. Gentleman can, of his own knowledge, send me facts on which I can address an inquiry to the other magistrates I will see if I can get to the bottom of the matter.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)Is not the easiest solution of this difficulty 370 to be found in the appointment of another Royal Commission?
§ MR. KILBRIDEIs not this the case concerning emergency men who in the the gaiety of their hearts went through the country firing revolvers?
§ MR. KILBRIDEThen you ought to have.