I move: "That the Bill do now pass."
Public Business. - Juries (Protection) Bill, 1931—Fifth Stage.
The only thing we can discuss on this Bill is the Title. We consider that the Bill should be called a preliminary Bill for the abolition of juries. We had to listen to that type of cynical prosecutor mind to an alien government yesterday, namely to Deputy Jasper Wolfe, who threw ridicule upon the institution because in his opinion it never seemed to carry out justice. Naturally from his own experience he only saw the thing from the point of view of what was then an alien government. His whole speech and attitude of mind shows that he saw in it the satisfaction of his anti-national bias. Therefore, I suggest that the Title of the Bill is entirely wrong, that instead of calling it the Juries (Protection) Bill it should be called a preliminary measure for the abolition of the jury system in Ireland altogether.
I object to the Title of this Bill. I think it should be called a Bill to secure the conviction of all prisoners. I think we should consider very seriously whether Deputy Wolfe is a fitting member of this House. Deputy Wolfe last night informed us that for fifteen years——
Deputy Wolfe does not come into this debate at all.
I am discussing what Deputy Wolfe said.
No, the Deputy is discussing Deputy Wolfe.
He made a definite statement here last night, that any client defended by a solicitor—he always succeeded in getting him free for fifteen years because he was able to square the jury. I think when a Deputy makes a serious statement like that that it opens up the whole question. It was given, if you please, as one of the reasons why this Bill should pass—a case of the convicted poacher coming in and telling us how he caught the hare. I consider that the Title of this Bill is completely wrong. I think the Title should be "a special Bill for the conviction of innocent prisoners." It is a Bill for packing juries, nothing more or less. I think that the Title is completely wrong, and that the Minister ought to bring in a proper Title to the Bill.
The speeches we have listened to were so nonsensical that they call for no reply.
Question put.
The Dáil divided: Tá, 62. Níl, 44.
Tá
- Aird, William P.
- Beckett, James Walter.
- Bennett, George Cecil.
- Blythe, Ernest.
- Brodrick, Seán.
- Byrne, John Joseph.
- Carey, Edmund.
- Collins-O'Driscoll, Mrs. Margt.
- Conlon, Martin.
- Connolly, Michael P.
- Cosgrave, William T.
- Craig, Sir James.
- Daly, John.
- Davis, Michael.
- De Loughrey, Peter.
- Doherty, Eugene.
- Dolan, James N.
- Doyle, Peadar Seán.
- Duggan, Edmund John.
- Dwyer, James.
- Egan, Barry M.
- Fitzgerald, Desmond.
- Fitzgerald-Kenney, James.
- Good, John.
- Gorey, Denis J.
- Haslett, Alexander.
- Hassett, John J.
- Heffernan, Michael R.
- Hennessy, Michael Joseph.
- Hennessy, Thomas.
- Hennigan, John.
- Henry, Mark.
- Hogan, Patrick (Galway).
- Holohan, Richard.
- Jordan, Michael.
- Kelly, Patrick Michael.
- Keogh, Myles.
- Law, Hugh Alexander.
- Lynch, Finian.
- Mathews, Arthur Patrick.
- McDonogh, Martin.
- McFadden, Michael Og.
- McGilligan, Patrick.
- Mulcahy, Richard.
- Nally, Martin Michael.
- Nolan, John Thomas.
- O'Connell, Richard.
- O'Connor, Bartholomew.
- O'Hanlon, John F.
- O'Leary, Daniel.
- O'Mahony, The.
- O'Reilly, John J.
- O'Sullivan, John Marcus.
- Redmond, William Archer.
- Reynolds, Patrick.
- Roddy, Martin.
- Shaw, Patrick W.
- Sheehy, Timothy (West Cork).
- Thrift, William Edward.
- Tierney, Michael.
- Wolfe, George.
- Wolfe, Jasper Travers.
Níl
- Aiken, Frank.
- Allen, Denis.
- Anthony, Richard.
- Blaney, Neal.
- Boland, Gerald.
- Boland, Patrick.
- Briscoe, Robert.
- Broderick, Henry.
- Buckley, Daniel.
- Carney, Frank.
- Carty, Frank.
- Cassidy, Archie J.
- Clancy, Patrick.
- Colbert, James.
- Corry, Martin John.
- Crowley, Tadhg.
- Lemass, Seán F.
- Little, Patrick John.
- Moore, Séamus.
- Mullins, Thomas.
- O'Dowd, Patrick Joseph.
- O'Kelly, Seán T.
- Derrig, Thomas.
- De Valera, Eamon.
- Everett, James.
- Fahy, Frank.
- Flinn, Hugo.
- Fogarty, Andrew.
- Gorry, Patrick J.
- Goulding, John.
- Hayes, Seán.
- Hogan, Patrick (Clare).
- Houlihan, Patrick.
- Jordan, Stephen.
- Kennedy, Michael Joseph.
- Kent, William R.
- Killilea, Mark.
- Kilroy, Michael.
- O'Reilly, Matthew.
- Ryan, James.
- Sheehy, Timothy (Tipp.).
- Tubridy, John.
- Walsh, Richard.
- Ward, Francis C.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Duggan and P. S. Doyle; Níl, Deputies G. Boland and Allen.
Question declared carried.
Bill ordered to be sent to the Seanad.