The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1886-09-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.  The House was in Committee all the evening on the Civil Service Estimates. On the vote for the Chief Secretary's Office, Mr. Tuite raised a long discussion on the BarbaviLla murder, of which he contended that the convicted persons now under sentence were entirely innocent, and in enforcing this in an elaborate review of the case he advanced the usual charges, of conspiracy, perjury, subornation of perjury, jury packing, intimidation, bribery, &c., against the executive, judges, jurors, police, witnesses and all other persons concerned in bringing about ;he conviction. Mr. D. Sullivan also went at length into the same subject, and Mr. Sexton diverged into some general reflections on the office and functions of the Chief Secretary, and Mr. T. Russell vindicated the impartiality of the Dublin special jurors. The Attorney-General for Ireland, while pointing out to the committee that the present Government had no knowlegde of the case and no responsibility for it, showed that all the facts mentioned had been before the Court and jury at the trials, and that the only method of re-opening the case was by memorial to the Government in the usual way.  Mr. Deasy travelled in minute detail and with much iteration through the circumstances of the case, mid, on the Chancellor of the Exchequer appealing to the Chair whether any real progress cculd ever be made it the time of the committee oas taken up with cases of which this Government had no knowledge and for which they were not responsible, Mr. Courtney held that where there were prisoners under sentence for a crime it was competent for members on the vote to state reasons why the prerogative of mercy should be exercised.  Mr. Harris endeavoured to speak to the question, but, being called to order three times, at down. Subsequently the Crossmaglen case was introduced into the discussion, and Mr. Dillon, Mr. P. M•Donald, Mr. Cox' Mr. Hayden, Mr Sexton, Mr. W. Redmond, and Mr. Blane in turn went at length throtu h the facts of both cases. Mr. W. A. Macdonald also spoke, and by this time the impatience of the Committee was 80  loudly manifested that Mr. Biggar moved to report progress in order to secure attention and adequate discussion. On this motion there was a discussion of some 20 minutes, and in the cou”se of it Mr. T. Harrington was reproved by the Chair for threatening the Committee. Ultimately Mr. W. A. Macdonald was allowed to conclude his speech, and Mr. Nolan and Mr. Crilly having spoken on the same side, Sir J. Ellis, who was several times called to order for wandering from the subject, appealed to the Irish members, amid much laughter, to speak to - the vote under discussion. Mr. Sheehy and Mr. J. O'Connor (Tipperary) continued the debate until twenty minutes to twelve o'clock, when a division was taken and the reduction which had been moved in the vote was negatived by 178 to 75. _  Sir M. Hicks-Beach, replying to a series of (locations put to him in an earlier part of the debate by Mr Sexton, maintained that the Arms Act was impartially administered in the North as well as in the South of Ireland, and denied that the InspectorGeneral of Constabulary had been actuated by a party feeling in the disposition of the police during the Belf act riots. Mr. J; Morley also bore testimony to the impartial administration of the Arms Act and to the efficiency and integrity of the Inspector-General of Constabulary. Several other Irish members also spoke upon the vote, which was ultimately agreed to. The Belfast Inquiry Bill passed through Committee, and the House adjourned at half-past two o'clock.