HC Deb 07 May 1883 vol 279 cc31-2
MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that on the 22nd of February last Mr. Dagg, Sub-Inspector Royal Irish Constabulary, in company with Constable Steward, of Ventry, made a search, lasting for several hours, through the papers of the Reverend C. M'Carthy, M.A., the Protestant clergyman, which search was continued through the following day, and that on the 24th February Sub-Inspector Dagg informed the reverend gentleman that the police had received information identifying him with Carey and the Phoenix Park assassinations; whether he approves of these proceedings; and, whether he means to take any notice of them?

MR. TREVELYAN

The Rev. Mr. M'Carthy, I may mention, is a gentleman who has been prohibited by the Archbishop of Dublin from performing any ecclesiastical duties. ["Oh, oh!"] Hon. Gentlemen say "Oh, oh!" but that appears to me to bear upon this question, that he has been prohibited from the discharge of his duties. ["Oh, oh!"] I do not know why hon. Gentlemen groan at that statement, as it is not likely the Archbishop would make such an order without proper reason. The charge against the rev. gentleman was that he was concerned in a fraudulent transaction, and that bears, in my opinion, very strongly on this case. I am informed that his lodgings were searched on the 2nd of March. He has no house of his own, and the papers which were examined were handed, to the police by his landlady, who had seized them for debt. It is not the case that the search was continued on the following day, and the Sub-Inspector reports that it is not true that he made any reference to Mr. M'Carthy about the Phœnix Park murders, or any statement that he had received information identifying him with them. From the information before me, I see no ground for expressing any disapproval of the action of the Sub-Inspector, or of taking any further notice of the matter.

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

Perhaps I may be permitted to state, if the House will allow me, that I should not have put this Question on the Paper if I had not received a distinct statement from the clergyman referred to, in which he sots forth the matters contained in the Question, and states in express terms that the Inspector informed him that he had received information identifying him with Carey and the Phœnix Park assassinations.

MR. TREVELYAN

I do not think the Question requires any explanation from the hon. Member.