Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-18
LATE FOREIGN NEWS.
CRIMINAL LAW IN IRELAND
Parneil Moves an Invesfisat ien--fIis speech
SIR Michael Hicks Beach in Hesponse.

Parusu Moves n Investisa toni His speech
SIR Michael Hicks Beach in Hespouse.
lIIy cable 10 the Dispatch.l
LONDON, July lin the House Of
Commons to-day Mr.. Parnell moved
that the Government institute an in
yestigation in the Maamstrasna murder
trial.
Parnell made long speech in sup
port of his motion. lie dwelt on the
maladministration Of criminal Law IN
Ireland under Earl Spencer, whereby
innocent persons had been in some cases
condemned and executed, and in other
cases had been sentenced to long or
lifelong terms Of penal servltude.
lie moved, therefore, that in the
opinion OF the House il was the duty Of
the Government to institute q street in
quiry into the evidence and sentences
Of the Maamstrasna, Barbavilla, Cross
mapen, and Castle Island murder cases.
" Had the Irish Executive" said Par
nell, initiated the custom OF the
English Home Office in cases where
guilt OF prisoners is doubtful,
by ordering inquiries on the
spot in the cases mentioned,
the prisoners who were still lying I'M
der sentences Of unjust conviction would
long ago have been released from Gus
tody. George Bolton, Crown Solicitor
Of Dublin, refused to accept the plea Of
guilty for Michael Casey, and insisted
on fercing four or five innocent men to
plead guilty. To speak Of this case as
colly as | can, | believe that if ever a
murderer deserved to be placed on trial
and sentenced TO death that man was
Bolton"
Continuing, Parnell said that the
Irish members Of Parliament were
never allowed to obtain the declarations
Of innocent men executed by the
Spencer Government, but they had be-
come aware Of the nature Of many
of these declarations without In
curing any obligations to that
Government. He thea proceeded to
analyze at length the evidence in the
Myles-Joyce case, with view 20 prove
that in this instance the case OF the
Crown was in collision with the facts IN
possession Of Irish members of Parlia-
ment.
William Joseph Corbett, Home-Rulc
member for WICKLOW county, seconded
the motion of Parnell, and said he
hoped the Government would take a
lesson from their predecessors, " whom
the Parnellite vote deprived Of Office
Sir Michael Iiicks-Beach said that the
present Government had nothing to say
concerning the merits of the case, and
nothing to say in defence of the late
Government. He was, however. au-
thorized by the Earl Of Carnarvon, the
present Lord Lieutenant Of ireland, 20
state that the present Irish Executive
will make careful personal inquiry
into the subject submitted by Parnell
for investigation but he (Sir Michael
must add that the Government felt
themselves compelled TO ask the House
to resist Parnell's motion, which was
derogatory to Earl Spencer, member
Of the late Government.
The House negatiyed Parnell's mo-
ton without division.
LONDON, July l7.-Robert Bourke,
Under Foreign Secretary, stated in the
House of Commons this afternoon that
the Government would do its best to
obtain an early issue of the Egyptian
loan of Sl5 100000. Negotiations with
interested persons were being carried
on with that end in view now, Mr..
Bourke said, and the Government were
unable to make any further statement
at present.
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Chan
cellor of the Eychequer, stated that
the Government had no further IN
formation from thc Afghan frontier than
that made public Yesterday.