now obtained information as to the re- | direct that the proceedings on Tuesday strictions against hackney carriages en- next shall be in open Court, and have an tering Richmond Park, and what steps official shorthand writer in attendance, he has taken for their admission? in order to facilitate a prosecution for perjury in the case, if the magistrates so direct?

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE: I stated a few nights ago that I believed that hackney carriages were permitted to enter Richmond Park; I find upon inquiry that a subtle distinction is drawn between hackney carriages, numbered by the police and standing for hire in the streets or at the station, and those standing at livery stables; and that the former are not permitted to enter the Park. I have communicated with His Royal Highness the Ranger on the subject, and he agrees with me that this distinction cannot be justified. Henceforth, therefore, hackney carriages of all kinds will be permitted in Richmond Park.

CRIMINAL LAW (IRELAND)-CHARGE

OF CONSPIRACY TO MURDER.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON), in reply, said, in consequence of this Question he had looked into The Freeman's Journal; but having no other information on the subject, he might state, on the authority of that newspaper, that on the occasion referred to four persons were charged with conspiracy to murder before two magistrates in Dunleer. They decided to hear the cases in private, according to the statutable authority which magistrates possessed; and, therefore, there could be no report of the evidence taken before them. But, according to The Freeman's Journal, "from our own Correspondent," it appeared that the cases had been adjourned till the 2nd of MR. CALLAN asked Mr. At- May, which would be to-morrow. He torney General for Ireland, Whether had no power to direct that the inquiry his attention has been called to the should then be held in open Court; and report which appeared in the "Free- if he ventured to so direct the magisman's Journal" of Monday last, of trates would inquire under what authothe proceedings in the Dunleer Petty rity he did so, to which he probably Sessions Court on Tuesday, April would not be able to give a satisfactory 20th, when a number of the most reanswer. The hon. Member knew very spectable tenant farmers of the County well he had no power to direct that Louth were, on the information of a an official shorthand writer be present. person named Rue, charged with con- But there could be no miscarriage of spiracy to murder Sub-Inspector O'Cal-justice, because the evidence of the witlaghan of Drogheda; whether upwards of twenty individuals resident in the district were named in the sworn depositions of Rue with being parties to the conspiracy; and, if so, why is it that five only, out of the twenty so named, were charged before the magistrates; whether it is true, as admitted by the informer, on cross-examination by Mr. Rogers, the attorney for the parties,

nesses must be reduced to the form of depositions, and be signed by the witnesses in presence of the accused. These depositions would come before himself for direction as to future proceedings, and if there were not sufficient grounds for proceeding he would not direct a prosecution.

MR. CALLAN said, the right hon. and learned Gentleman had forgotten to answer the second paragraph, which alleged that 20 persons were named in Rue's depositions, but that only five were prosecuted.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON): The second paragraph of the Question I know nothing whatever about. The number of persons charged, according to the report, was five.

MR. CALLAN gave Notice that he would draw the attention of the House to this proceeding, and also to another proceeding last month, in which, not

PEACE PRESERVATION (IRELAND) ACT, 1881-REV. THOMAS FEEHAN.

MR. MARUM asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in reference to the case of the Rev. Thomas Feehan, C.C. now detained in Maryborough Gaol, in default of entering into bail for good behaviour, his attention has been called to the following circumstances:-That the High Court of Justice of the Queen's Bench in Ireland has, upon application for a certiorari, with the view to have the committal quashed, granted a conditional order, on the ground of the rejection of legal evidence in the Court below, that is to say: the refusal to hear the reverend defendant himself, as a witness on his own behalf, in order to show cause why he should not be put under a rule of bail; that one of the three presiding justices, viz. myself, dissented from such ruling, but, upon asking counsel for the reverend defendant for some authority for the procedure, was informed that none existed upon the point, although the Statute of Edward III. under which the proceedings were laid,

borers?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN: Yes, Sir; the Government have come to the conclusion that it is desirable that what is called the experimental boring of the Channel Tunnel Company should be stopped, and that further expenses should, as far as possible, be saved until Parliament has come to a decision whether the Channel Tunnel is to be made or not.

PROTECTION OF PERSON AND PRO-
PERTY (IRELAND) ACT, 1881 — MR.
MOLLOY.

summarily, which was made, after full | strata, at the risk and expense of the consideration of the case, by my hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor General for Scotland and myself, when it was first reported during the Easter Recess. Knowing that the people of Skye are generally peaceable, honest, and law-abiding, and having reason to believe that they had been misled by evil counsel into resisting an officer of the law executing a legal warrant, we thought that the offence would not be repeated if it were made clear to them, as speedily as possible, that the law would be vindicated, though for the first offence the sentence and punishment might not be severe. A summary trial before the Sheriff is the proceeding appropriate to the least grave offences reported to the Crown Office. It can be held with the least delay, and imprisonment for 60 days is the maximum punishment which the Sheriff can award in such a trial; while it is, of course, within his competency to pronounce even a lighter sentence, if he thinks it will meet the justice of the As regards the last part of the Question, I have to say that it is intended that the trial shall proceed before Sheriff Blair at Inverness. He has not hitherto taken part in the measures which have, unfortunately, become necessary for vindicating the law in Skye. I may also add that this arrangement was made before the present Question was put. In answer to my hon. Friend's (Mr. Dick-Peddie's) Question, I have to say that I shall communicate on the subject, and ascertain whether the trial can take place at Portree.

MR. REDMOND asked the Chief

Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has received an application from Mr. Molloy, a prisoner under the Coercion Act in Dundalk Prison, for release on parole to attend to some necessary farming operations; whether the men arrested in the district

case.

MR. FRASER-MACKINTOSH said, the Lord Advocate had not answered the last part of his Question.

THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR): The solicitor or agent for the accused did make such an application.

ENGLAND AND FRANCE-THE CHAN

NEL TUNNEL SCHEME.

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL asked the President of the Board of Trade, If it is to be understood that Her Majesty's Government have determined not only to refuse permission to construct a Channel Tunnel without the consent of Parliament, but also to prohibit the mere boring of an experimental hole of limited dimensions under the sea, in order to ascertain the nature of the

of Wexford County, to which Mr. Molloy belongs, have not all been released; and, whether he will reconsider his

case?

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, the release of this prisoner had been ordered.

THE MAGISTRACY (IRELAND) —

CAPTAIN PLUNKET, R.M. MR. REDMOND asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the Report, in the "Daily News" of 28th April, of certain observations made by Captain Plunket, R.M. at the Petty Sessions Court of Castleisland, county Kerry; whether Captain Plunket stated, amongst other things, that the

"people had lost all sense of honesty, decency, and religion," and that

"if any persons were found in his district attempting to establish a branch of the Ladies' Land League, he would issue a warrant for their arrest;'

and, whether it is a fact that recently Captain Plunket issued orders to the police in his district, whenever they found more than two men assembled upon the road to disperse them, and, if necessary, to use their weapons in doing so?

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, there was another Question on the

and, whether he proposed to take any further steps to put a stop to the system of terrorism at present existing in Ire-recurring savage scenes, he contemplates land? He should like to answer both introducing any measure for the represQuestions. He had received a telegram sion of outrages in England and in from Captain Plunkett, who informed him that he did say―

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: I am happy to inform my hon. Friend-and "The people had lost all sense of honesty, I am sure he will be glad to hear-that decency, and religion;" and that

Whether it is true that the Governor of Enniskillen Prison is in the habit of detaining letters written by suspects on purely personal or business affairs, and declining to give any reason whatever for his conduct; whether he imposes a rule that no communication shall be made to the Chief Secretary except by way of petition, and that the terms of the petition shall be dictated by himself; whether this Governor, on the 18th ultimo, stopped and detained a letter from Mr. Luke Armstrong, of Tubbercurry, county Sligo (who has been detained under the Coercion Act in Enniskillen Prison for the past four months), demanding to be put on trial, before any tribunal the Chief Secretary may appoint, for the offence of which he is suspected; and, whether, as Mr. Armstrong's business is being ruined by his prolonged imprisonment, and as there is nobody except his sister, a very young girl, to look after his affairs, the Government will either bring him to trial or release him?

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, he was not aware that the Governor of Enniskillen Prison was in the habit of detaining letters written by "suspects" with regard to purely personal matters, nor did he impose any such rule as the Question alleged. It was a fact that on the 18th instant the Governor stopped a letter written by Mr. Luke Armstrong. He had been given the option of appealing to the Chief Secretary. Mr. Armstrong's case was re-considered on the 18th ultimo; but it was decided that at present he could not be released.

If it be true that on Monday the 24th ultimo at Rhode, in the King's County, the erection of huts to shelter poor labourers evicted by David Kerr was prevented by force under the orders of the resident magistrate; if it be true that these evicted labourers were thus left without any shelter, and without any means of subsistence, and under what law or by what authority the resident magistrate acted; and if he will take all necessary steps to prevent all further opposition to the erection of these huts, and against a repetition of such action; whether on the above occasion a most respectable farmer named O'Brien was taken into custody by orders of the resident magistrate, and then and there sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment with hard labour for questioning the right of the magistrate to prevent the erection of the above huts; and, if he will order his immediate release?

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that in March the labourers at the place in question struck for an increase of wages, and a number of Scotch labourers were obtained to take the place of those who left. Protection to these men had been necessary, and a military guard was accordingly sent down. On the 25th of April materials for huts arrived at Rhode, and several people arrived to erect them. The Sub-Inspector and Head Constable swore informations that the huts were being erected to intimidate Mr. Kerr and his workmen. Mr. O'Brien, who was erecting them, was accordingly arrested, and called upon to enter into recognizances to be of good UNIVERSITY REFORM (SCOTLAND). behaviour. That he refused to do, and MR. DICK-PEDDIE asked the Lord was sent to gaol. The addition of “hard labour," he thought, could not be correct. Advocate, Whether any determination has yet been come to as to the appoint-sufficient authority, the Superior Court If the Resident Magistrate acted without

ment of an Executive Commission for deal-
ing with University Reform in Scotland?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B.
BALFOUR): Yes, Sir; the appointment
of an Executive Commission has been
resolved on. A Bill on the subject has
been prepared, and will be introduced at
at the earliest possible opportunity.

EVICTIONS (IRELAND)—ERECTION OF
HUTS FOR EVICTED LABOURERS AT
RHODE, KING'S CO.

MR. MOLLOY asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,

would overrule his decision. He now wished to make a correction with regard to an answer given to a Question asked and learned Friend (the Solicitor General on the 4th of April. On that day, his hon. for Ireland), in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Cavan (Mr. Biggar) relating to John Reynolds and Patrick Gannon, stated they were detained on suspicion of maiming cattle. John Reynolds had written to say he was arrested on suspicion of intimidating persons not to pay their rent. The mistake arose in consequence of