§ THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Government would lay on the Table the Report for which he asked last Tuesday?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Earl SPENCER)My Lords, I find there is no precedent for giving, in the form of a Return, the Charge of a Judge to a Grand Jury at Assizes in Ireland. It is true that in the time of the late Government the Charges of three Judges were given; but those were Charges to juries in specific cases. There has been in recent years no precedent for presenting the Charge delivered by a presiding Judge to the Grand Jury at the Assizes; but as my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary, in what he said on a recent occasion in the House of Commons, made use of the Charge of Mr. Justice Gibson, he has presented the Charge to the House of Commons; and if the noble Marquess will move for it, I shall be very glad to agree to the Charge being laid before your Lordships' House.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRYmoved formally that a copy of the Report of Mr. Justice Gibson's Charge to the Grand Jury at the Assizes in County Clare during the past week, as taken by the official note-taker, be laid on the Table of the House, and thanked the noble Earl for the expedition he had shown in complying with the request—a copy of the Charge having been at once placed at his disposal by Earl Spencer.
§ Moved, "That there be laid before the House the address of the Right Honourable Mr. Justice Gibson to the Grand Jury at the opening of the County Clare Summer Assizes, 1893; together with the transcript of notes of the Constabulary shorthand writer, quoted by the Chief Secretary for Ireland during a debate in the House of Commons on the 7th instant."—(The Earl Vane, M. Londonderry.)
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Paper respecting: Laid before the House (pursuant to Order of this day), and to be printed. (No. 199.)