§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has received any report from the police to the effect that the disloyal placard published apparently by the National Candidate in Monaghan, on the polling day, issued in reality from the printing office of a local Tory newspaper; whether a search on the premises, with a comparison of type, &c. will be made as was done in the case of 289 the "Kerry Sentinel;" and, if not, whether any attempt has been or will be made to discover the authors; and, if the Government will accept an amendment to the Corrupt Practices Bill compelling the publisher's name to be attached to election placards, and penalising the appending by the printer of a false name and address?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I have received no such Report as is suggested in the first paragraph of the Question; on the contrary, the police state that from a careful examination of the printing and texture of the paper it is not thought that the placard was printed in any printing office in the county. There is no ground whatever upon which the premises of the newspaper referred to should be searched, as was done in the case of The Kerry Sentinel, where there was abundant reason for the action taken. The police have made careful inquiry, with a view to ascertain, if possible, who printed or posted the placards at Monaghan, but as yet without success. If the hon. Member sees fit to bring forward such an Amendment to the Corrupt Practices Bill as he proposes, it will, no doubt, receive duo consideration from the House.
§ MR. HEALYAs the right hon. Gentleman states that the police have no reason to suspect any local newspaper office, it may be of interest to him to know that I put my Question at the request of a police constable, who informed me that this placard was printed in the office of a local Tory newspaper.