§ Mr. JOHN ROCHEasked the Chief secretary by what authority Sergeant Gallagher, on the night of 15th April, called on Mr. Martin Finnerty, secretary of the East Galway executive, Gurteen, Ballinasloe, county Galway, and questioned him as to where he had spent the previous night, and finally demanded of him to sign a statement as to his movements during the previous twenty-four hours; whether he can state any reason why respectable people should be subject to such treatment; was there any crime or outrage committed in the county during the time that Mr. Finnerty had been questioned about; will he state upon whose authority the sergeant acted; and, if he had no authority for doing so, will this sergeant be removed to the North-East part of Ulster?
§ Mr. BIRRELLWhen a serious crime has been committed, it becomes the duty of the police to question all parties whose statements might possibly throw light on the occurrence. The police when engaged in the investigation of crime have got to question parties who are quite innocent of wrongdoing, and it is not practicable or desirable that they should indicate to each the exact nature of the information sought or the reason for seeking it.