§ Mr. SPEAKER informed the House that he had received two letter relating to the arrest and imprisonment of Mr. Laurence Ginnell, a Member of this House, which he read to the House, as followeth:—
§ "Metropolitan Police Courts,
§ Inn's Quay,
§ Dublin,
§ 23rd March, 1918.
§ Sir,
§ I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Laurence Ginnell, a Member of Parliament, has been arrested at Kilkenny and brought before me this day upon a warrant issued by Mr. T. C. Drury, one of the Divisional Justices of the Dublin Metropolitan Police District, charging that Mr. Ginnell did unlawfully incite and labour to persuade a large number of persons to commit the crime of unlawful assembly.
§ I have remanded Mr. Ginnell in custody until Tuesday next, when he will again be brought before this Court.
§ I have the honour to be,
§ Sir,
§ Your obedient servant,
§ Ernest G.SWIFTE, K.C.,
§ Chief Divisional Justice of the Police District of Dublin Metropolis.
§ The Right Honourable
§ The Speaker of the House of Commons, London."
§ "Metropolitan Police Courts, Inn's Quay,
§ Dublin.
§ 5th April, 1918.
§ Sir,
§ I have the honour to report that on the 30th ultimo Mr. Laurence Ginnell, M.P., was brought before me at this Court on remand charged, inter alia with having, at Sooey, in the county of Sligo, unlawfully incited and laboured to persuade certain persons to commit the crime of unlawful assembly.
§ Having heard the evidence I was satisfied that there was a danger of a future breach of the peace by Mr. Ginnell, and I required him to find sureties to be of the peace, himself in the sum of £500 with two sureties each in the sum of £1,000 for the term of one year, and, in default of finding sureties as aforesaid, I directed that Mr. Ginnell be imprisoned for a period of six months unless in the meantime he shall find sureties.
§ Mr. Ginnell declined to find sureties and was committed on my warrant to the Mountjoy Prison, Dublin.
§ I would have reported the committal to you in due course but for the fact that a circular dated the 24th October, 1902, from the then Under-Secretary, Sir D. Harrel, appears to require that the arrest only should be reported.
§ I have the honour to be,
§ Sir,
§ Your obedient servant,
§ T. C. DRURY,
§ Divisional Justice of the Police District of Dublin Metropolis.
§ The Right Honourable the Speaker, M.P.,
§ House of Commons,
§ London."