HC Deb 06 August 1874 vol 221 cc1409-10
MR. M'CARTHY DOWNING

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the trials of the Kilrea riots at the Londonderry Assizes, and to the observations of the learned judge (Barry), who said— In one part of your remarks I agree with you, Mr. May—that this collateral issue has been fully developed, yet I am hound to say that Mr. Rea has opened up for my consideration one of the most startling events in my professional career—namely, that a number of men, armed with bludgeons, were allowed, by magistrates and police, to go here and there through the town, and commit two audacious acts of violence, while they were well known to the police; and who in charging the Jury observed— It is the wildest nonsense to think for a moment that an attack was not premeditated, or that the party armed with sticks and bludgeons would not have attempted to stop the processionists had the police not been there. So much for that; and now we come to 'another branch of the case which I wish to dispose of at once. I may say that this, the most unpleasant part of the case, consists in the fact that only four persons of the bludgeon party are for trial, although we have the fact proved that a body of bludgeon men, armed with weapons, prepared with sticks, not accidentally—that this organised party, well described as organised ruffians, committed under the eyes of two magistrates present, and in the presence of a large party of police, two distinct acts of riot, and we have it in evidence that a list of the names of the parties was taken down by an active and intelligent policeman at the time. That policeman is enabled to name not five, or six, or seven, or eight, but a whole string of names—I do not know how many—of these ruffians who were rioting in the town that day, and it is a lamentable thing that more of these men have not been sent for trial. Were 74 Catholics, the party attacked, made amenable to law, and only 11 of the Orange party; and who were the magistrates referred to; and would the Executive institute an inquiry into their conduct?

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH

, in reply, said, that as the hon. Gentleman's Question had been laid on the Table only that morning, he had been unable to obtain the necessary information to answer it fully. The observations which were attributed to Mr. Justice Barry on the occasion which was referred to were quoted from a newspaper, and must be received with considerable doubt, and he had no official Report. He was afraid that both parties in these unfortunate riots were equally to blame. They had been dealt with with perfect impartiality, and a great many of the offenders had been committed for trial, Mr. May, the Law Adviser of the Castle, having been sent especially to conduct the case. The Attorney General for Ireland, he might add, would shortly have an opportunity of communicating with Mr. May on the subject.