In Committee of Supply on Friday week Mr. T. P.
O'Connor raised the question of "jury-packing" with refer- ence to the case of Mr. McHugh, M.P. Sir Robert Reid, who gave him a qualified support, said that he was not prepared to see the right of challenge struck out of the English law, or to abolish trial by jury in Ireland. The true method was to bring the administration of the law in Ireland, by a constitutional change, into harmony with the wishes of the people. The Attorney-General (Sir Robert Finlay) denied that the Crown packed juries; what it did was to secure im- partial juries, and he was convinced that if a similar state of affairs existed in England—i.e., if many of those summoned were notoriously in sympathy with criminals—the fearless exercise of the right of challenge would not be opposed by lawyers on the Opposition side. The amendment having been negatived by 173 to 105, and the Closure on the main question carried by 173 to 101, the vote was passed by 175 to 96, or a majority of 79.
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