§ MR. BIGGAR (for Mr. O'CONNOR POWER)asked the Chief Secretary for 959 Ireland, Whether he is aware that the police recently entered the house of Mr. Patrick Hastings, of Louisburgh, county Mayo, at a very inconvenient hour, and made a search of the premises under circumstances similar to those already described to the House in connection with the searches of Tuam and Ballinasloe; and, if he will now, or at an early day, indicate the nature of the information upon which, in each case, the Lords Justices ordered the searches to be made?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, a search was, I understand, made under the conditions alluded to by the hon. Member. I am sorry, however, to be unable consistently with public interests to afford the information he asks for.
§ MAJOR NOLANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If he can now state whether the houses of Mr. Matthew Harris and of Mr. M. O'Sullivan were searched on the 14th of June for documents; if more particularly he can state if Constable Egan and Sub-Constable Judge examined and read manuscript papers in the house of Mr. Harris, and if Sub-Constable Graham examined and read manuscript papers in the house of Mr. O'Sullivan; and, whether, he having stated that the police had no instructions to search for papers, it is the intention of the Government to punish the constables for having examined papers, or does the Government intend to adopt their acts?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the houses referred to by the hon. and gallant Gentleman were searched on the 14th of June for arms, but not for documents. The constable and sub-constables the hon. and gallant Gentleman mentions by name state that they, in no way, concerned themselves with the nature of any documents found in the houses; but confined their attention exclusively to the sole object of the search, which was for arms and ammunition.
§ MAJOR NOLANwished the right hon. Gentleman would answer the Question whether the constables did examine and read papers?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, I thought what I said just now would have conveyed the information the hon. and gallant Gentleman asks for; but I may add that the constables, in reply to my inquiries as to what actually occurred, state that although it was necessary for 960 them to turn over papers in order to satisfy themselves that no arms or ammunition were concealed under them, they took no notice of their contents; and one of the constables adds that he felt no interest whatever in any of the documents upon the premises, and would have declined to have read them even if asked to do so.