EARL GREYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the William Mackay whose name is included in the list of convicts specially discharged from custody, recently laid before this House, is the same person with the Captain Mackay who, in a question put to the then Secretary for Ireland in the House of Commons on the 9th of March 1869, was described as—
An individual who last year killed a police constable at Cork; who attacked and set fire to a police barrack at Ballyknockbane, and seized the arms belonging to that station; who also attacked and rifled the Martello Tower at Fota in December 1867; and who was implicated in other outrages at Castle Martyr, Knockadown, Kilcooley Wood, and elsewhere;And of whom this description was stated by Mr. Chichester Fortescue in his reply to be "substantially connect." Now, as to-morrow their Lordships would have submitted for second reading a Bill brought forward by Her Majesty's Government with a view to prevent murders committed at the instigation of one unlawful society in Ireland, he was anxious to know whether it could possibly be true that they had considered a man who for the purposes of another unlawful society, was admitted to have been guilty of the murder of a police constable, in addition to a good many other outrages, a fit subject for the Royal clemency?
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, his answer to the noble Earl's Question would be the same as that given by Mr. Chichester Fortescue—namely, that the description of what had been done by Mackay was substantially correct. William Mackay, whose name was included in the list of released Fenian convicts, was the man referred to. But he wished to add that it was not true, as his noble Friend seemed to suppose, that Her 1926 Majesty's Government had released a man who had committed a murder; for, although Mackay did undoubtedly kill a policeman at the time he was arrested, and was tried for it, the verdict was an acquittal, the defence being that the revolver with which he was armed at the time went off by accident. The offence of which he was convicted was treason-felony. As to the connection which the noble Earl supposed between Ribandism and Fenianism, and the inconsistency the Government was guilty of in letting off Mackay when they had brought in a Bill to prevent murder by Ribandmen, he did not think it convenient to enter into that subject at present, but should postpone any remarks he had to make until to-morrow. However, he begged to say that he did not admit the objects of the Riband and Fenian conspiracies to be identical, or that there was any inconsistency in the course taken by the Government in releasing members of the latter body at a time when they were seeking from Parliament additional Powers for the suppression of the former.
§ House adjourned at Seven o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.