§ MR. BELLINGHAMasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ire- 486 land, If his attention has been drawn to the proceedings at the late Quarter Sessions at Dundalk, county Louth, where there were but two cases at the Crown side of the Court; and, whether he is prepared, under these circumstances, to except Dundalk from the effects of the protection of Person and Property (Ireland) Bill? The hon. Gentleman explained that by a misprint Dundalk was mentioned as being the place which he wished to have exempted from the operation of the Act, instead of the County Louth.
§ MR. CALLANasked the right hon. Gentleman, Whether, having regard to the fact that in the last Return of outrages no agrarian crime of any kind appeared to have been committed in the County Louth, he would exclude that county from the operation of the Act?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that his attention had not been drawn to the proceedings at the Quarter Sessions mentioned in the Question of the first hon. Member. With regard to the second portion of his Question, he was not pre-pared to exclude any county from the operation of the Act, as it was impossible to say what the condition of such counties as Louth would be hereafter. All he could say was, that the Irish Government would most carefully consider what counties or districts should be proclaimed, with the intention of proclaiming only those when it was absolutely necessary to do so. He intended to state, before the Question of the hon. Member for the County Louth (Mr. Callan) was put, that he found that only two counties in Ireland had a smaller Return of agrarian offences than Louth, and it was one of the three counties in which no one was under special police protection.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, he had not got them then, but he knew he was right as to the number.