§ MR. CHARLES CRAIG (Antrim, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the remarks of Mr. J. W. French, a Justice of the Peace for county Galway, in a case heard at Athenry, in which two men were convicted by the majority of magistrates for poaching and fined respectively 30s. and 20s.; whether Mr. French, being one of the presiding Justices, in open Court advised one of the accused not to pay the fine which had been inflicted by a majority of the Justices; and whether, seeing that such conduct is calculated to bring the law into contempt, the attention of the Lord Chancellor has been drawn to the matter.
§ (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I have referred this Question to the Lord Chancellor. Mr. French, who is a Justice of the Peace ex officio, appears to have taken a wrong view of the law in this game prosecution, and to have differed from the majority of the magistrates who inflicted a fine. His advice to the defendant not to pay the fine seems to have been based upon his mistaken view of the law; and it appears to the Lord Chancellor that there is no reason for taking further notice of the matter.