§ MR. PATRICK MEEHAN (Queen's County, Leix)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a youth named Thompson has been returned for trial on a charge of perjury in connection 1692 with the alleged malicious burning at Knockmay, Queen's County; whether the county-inspector, with the knowledge that Thompson's statement was false, ordered his statement to be taken on oath with the object of obtaining warrants to arrest three men who had been proved innocent; whether an inquiry will be held into this officer's conduct; and whether it is part of a police officer's duty to order statements to be taken on oath which, as in this case, he knew had been deliberately concocted.
I beg also to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, on 24th July, at a special Court held at Maryborough a summons was issued by order of the presiding magistrate; that County-Inspector Sweedy retained the summons in his office; that the magistrates had to order the return of the summons; and can he say by what authority the county inspector refused to execute a legal order of a magistrate made in Court.
I beg further to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Sergeant Monahan received information of the alleged malicious burning at Knockmay, Queen's County, at 8.30 p.m. on 20th May last; whether he immediately reported the matter to his superior officer and visited the scene of the burning within an hour; that Sergeant Monahan has been censured and punished for alleged remissness in discharge of his duty; will he place the official Reports in this case upon the Table of the House or state in what particular Sergeant Monahan showed remissness in his duty; and whether there is any rule in the Police Code enabling a superior officer to punish men for an imaginary fault or through caprice.
§ MR. BIRRELLAs stated in my reply to a previous Question on this subject, asked by the hon. Member on the 25th ultimo, proceedings are pending against Joseph Thompson for perjury in connection with this case, and it is not, therefore, desirable to enter into further particulars of the matter. I have nothing to add to my previous reply with regard to Sergeant Monahan. The official police reports are confidential documents, and 1693 it would be contrary to practice to lay them on the Table.
§ MR. KILBRIDE (Kildare, S.)asked was the Chief Secretary aware that County-Inspector Tweedy had ordered Thompson's statement to be taken on oath although he was aware that the previous statement was false; and was not that suborning perjury, and was not Thompson insane?
§ MR. BIRRELLsaid he could not answer for Thompson's state of mind.
§ MR. DELANYasked did it not seem as if there were other Sergeant Sheridans in the police force.
§ [No Answer was returned.]