17. Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary if his attention has been drawn to the remarks made by Mr. Justice Boyd at Limerick Assizes on Saturday, 5th July, to the effect that trial by jury in criminal cases was a farce in the county Limerick, and that the verdicts returned at the assizes were a disgrace to justice; and whether, in view of this state of affairs, he will consider the necessity for taking special measures to enforce the law in the county Limerick and in other counties in the South and West of Ireland?
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLOn a point of Order, Sir. In reference to Question No. 17 and Question No. 21, I wish to ask whether it is in order that questions should be put down on the Paper which have been answered only a few days previously. On the 9th instant a question of exactly a similar character was put to the Prime Minister by the hon. Member for Thanet, and I have the question and the reply here. Considering that there are 114 questions on the Paper, I submit that it is an absolute abuse of the rules of the House to put down questions which have been just previously asked in almost precisely the same terms.
§ Mr. SPEAKERPerhaps the attention of the hon. and gallant Gentleman was not called to that fact. It has happened sometimes I believe, and I have frequently heard Ministers refer to replies given previously.
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave on the 9th instant to the question of the hon. and learned Member for Thanet Division on this subject, to which I have nothing to add.