§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Solicitor-General for Ireland upon what authority he bases the statement that not one of the 576 agrarian crimes reported in 1908 would have been punishable under the Criminal Law and Procedure Act, 1887, if that Act had been in force; whether the large number of crimes for which offenders were made amenable under the various provisions of the Act in former years were duly included in the records of crime, agrarian or non-agrarian; and whether he will ascertain from the constabulary authorities what are the agrarian crimes reported in 1908 which are not punishable under the Act of 1887 were it in force?
§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Redmond Barry):When speaking on Tuesday, February 23rd instant, with reference to the list of specially reported agrarian outrages in Ireland for the year 1908, I had in my mind the graver crimes of murder, firing at the person, firing into dwellings, incendiary fires, malicious injury to property, and maiming cattle, which had been the subject of so much discussion in the debate in connection with that list. I did not advert at the time, nor was my attention called to other cases, e.g., intimidation and riots, which no doubt would, where evidence was forthcoming, be cognisable under Section 2 of the Criminal Law and Procedure Act, 1887. The cases of offenders made amenable under the Criminal Law and Procedure Act in former years were not included in the records of crime, whether agrarian or otherwise. These records did not deal with any cases summarily disposed of. Special returns of prosecutions under the Act were from time to time presented to Parliament, and the figures can be obtained in the Irish Criminal Statistics. The question of what agrarian crimes as reported in 1908 would be punishable under the Act of 1887 is one depending upon the interpretation of the Act itself. No case would be so punishable save offences falling under Section 2 of the Act. The Constabulary authorities could throw no further light on the matter.