§ MR. W. J. CORBETasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that a force, consisting of a resident magistrate, two officers, and seventy-two policemen, was sent down to a Sheriff's Sale at Redcross, in the county Wicklow, on the 30th June, in direct opposition to the publicly expressed desire of the sheriff, Mr. W. H. Brownrigg; whether his attention has been called to a correspondence printed in the "Daily Express "newspaper between the sheriff, the secretary of the Emergency Committee, and the solicitors of the Rev. Mr. Johnson, the landlord, at whose suit the sale took place; whether he has noticed the following passage in the sheriff's letter of 1st July:—
As I anticipated, the entire amounts of the respective writs were willingly and peaceably paid, not as the result of the attendance of the Emergency Committee, but the good faith and honesty of the parties I had to deal with, and of which I was well assured before I wrote the letter your article referred to. I cannot help adding that in my mind such unnecessary displays of physical force are calculated to inflame the minds of the people, and add very much to the difficulties of the sheriff in the proper discharge of his duties;and, whether he will inform the House on whose information or application, and by what authority, the county of Wicklow has been subjected to the expense consequent on the movement of this force?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that the hon. Member was asking this Question under a misapprehension. There would be no expense to the county of Wicklow for the movement of the force. From information received, the Government had reason to believe that but for the precautions taken there would have been a serious disturbance at the sale.