§ Mr. T. P. O'CONNOR(by Private, Notice) asked the Attorney-General for Ireland whether it is the fact that at the inquiry into the death of Christopher Reynolds, which took place in Dublin on Friday last, the Press and the legal representatives of the next-of-kin were excluded; and whether this exclusion of the public and the Press, and of the counsel for the next-of-kin, is not a violation of the pledge given by the right hon. and learned Gentleman as to the publicity of the proceedings?
§ Mr. HENRYThe Press were admitted during a portion of the inquiry, but on Friday the President of the Court-Martial, in view of the fact that certain witnesses would be in grave peril, directed that these witnesses should be examined in camerâ. He offered to read over the evidence to the legal representatives of the accused, and to put for them any questions they suggested. I distinctly stated, in answer to my hon. Friend on Thursday last, that this power rested with the President of a court-martial, and I might mention that in quite a number of cases recently witnesses have been followed for hundreds of miles and murdered.
§ Mr. O'CONNORMay I take the answer of the right hon. Gentleman as meaning that these witnesses―some of whom are among the persons suspected of having committed this murder―were examined in the absence of the legal representatives of the next-of-kin?
§ Mr. O'CONNORMy right hon. Friend knows very well that that was the case, because it is published in all the papers. May I ask him, as a member of the legal profession, whether it is possible adequately to cross-examine any witnesses whose oral testimony has not been heard by the counsel who have to cross-examine them?
§ Mr. HENRYIt is a choice between two evils, and I prefer to take the evil of which my hon. Friend complains rather than that witnesses should be murdered.