OUTRAGE IN TYRONE.—OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 13 July 1860)

§ LORD CLAUD HAMILTON

said, he hoped the House would bear with him for a few moments while he referred to the serious charges which the hon. Member for Dungarvan had brought against his constituents in Tyrone. The hon. Member had talked as if the people of Tyrone were a set of men who disregarded the law, and were in the habit of committing the most outrageous crimes; but the fact was the hon. Gentleman, for whom he entertained the highest respect, had allowed himself to be made the mouthpiece of a few busy-bodies and mischief makers. In the county of Tyrone the great majority of the police were Roman Catholics. The county inspector of police and the clerk of the Crown were also Roman Catholics, and he asked whether the hon. Member was justified in casting aspersions on those respectable gentlemen, as if they had been guilty of neglecting their duty. The case which had been referred to gave him an opportunity of testifying to the character of the population which he represented, and which he maintained was among the most peaceful and loyal in the three kingdoms. A few years ago a Roman Catholic priest, whose piety and virtues had obtained for him universal admiration in that part of the county, died. The Roman Catholics were at the time preparing to erect a beautiful structure for Divine worship, and the Presbyterians and members of the Established Church, in large numbers came forward and begged to be permitted to testify their respect for the deceased Roman Catholic priest by contributing to the expense of placing a painted glass window in the building to his memory. The offer was accepted by the Roman Catholic building committee; but some time ago a ruffian broke the window at night, with a stick apparently. What was the consequence? The leading Protestants of the neigbourhood invited all parties to unite and testify their indignation publicly at the act. The 1879 result was that all the leading Protestants, both Presbyterian and Episcopalian, came forward and put down their names for large sums for the purpose of bringing to justice the miscreant who committed the act of destruction. This was the case which his hon. Friend, misled by a restless busybody who for twenty years had been the cause of all the bad feeling about the place, brought before the House, and asked what had been done by the Government to protect the persons and property of Roman Catholics from outrage. It was not fitting that the hon. Gentleman, allowing his feelings to be carried away, should make such ex parte statements, and he (Lord Claud Hamilton) only discharged his duty in now coming forward to vindicate his constituents.

§ MR. CARDWELL

said, that the particular outrage referred to was not at the time considered by the police of sufficient importance to be made the subject of a Special Report, but in consequence of his attention being called to the circumstance by the hon. Member for Dungarvan, an inquiry had been instituted respecting it. According to the Official Report, it appeared that on the night of the 30th of June a pane in the painted window at Cookstown, erected to the memory of the late parish priest, had been wilfully broken by some evil-disposed person or persons yet unknown. A head constable with twenty constables had been sent to the place, and there had been since no complaint of any additional disturbance. With regard to the rest of Ulster, precautions had been taken by the despatch of detachments of troops to preserve tranquillity, as at the present period of the year it was a matter of anxiety with the Irish Government to maintain the peace of the country. He was glad to say that he received intelligence which led him to hope that the day of anxiety had passed over without evil consequences.