§ MR. MEEHANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the Report of an outrage at Abbeyleix, Queen's County, in which it was stated that a two-year old filly was disembowelled and left to die in agony; whether a claim for malicious injury was made by the owner of the animal; and, if the claim was investigated by the County Court Judge on the 20th June last, can he say what was the result of the investigation.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe alleged malicious injury referred to in the Question was investigated by the local police, who formed the opinion that the injury had probably resulted from an accident. The owner made a claim for compensation for malicious injury, but the County Court Judge disallowed it, as he too came to the conclusion that the horse was accidently killed.
§ MR. DELANYasked if this alleged outrage had not been published in the Press and could not the right hon. Gentleman get the denial as widely circulated.
§ MR. BIRRELLsaid he hoped the papers would give equal publicity to his reply.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLSend it to Lord Ashtown's libel agency.