HC Deb 09 June 1884 vol 288 cc1789-91
LORD ARTHUR HILL

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland a Question of which I have given him private Notice—namely, Whether his attention has been called to a report in The Times of this day of the proceedings at Newry yesterday to this effect:— Several innocent persons returning from places of worship were struck and kicked by the constabulary, who appear to have become excited, and in some instances to have acted indiscriminately. Two of them were reported to their officers and placed under arrest. Further, I wish to ask, whether the right hon. Gentleman will cause instant inquiry to be made into the alleged unnecessary violence on the part of the police?

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

said, that before the right hon. Gentleman answered that Question he should like to ask him whether the Correspondent of The Times in Dublin, who had furnished the report in question, was Dr. Patton, the well-known, editor of the Orange organ, The Daily Express?

MR. TREVELYAN

Yes, Sir; he is. In answer to the noble Lord, I beg to state that I took very good care to be provided with a Report of the proceedings from the County Inspector as full as could be given by telegraph. I will read that Report to the noble Lord, because probably it will throw some light upon the Question to which he desires an answer. The first portion of the report I will not read, as it contains nothing of public interest. [Cries of "Read."] Nothing of particular interest. [Cries of "Why?" from the Opposition.] Very well, I will read the whole of the Report— I have to report that about the hour of 2 o'clock P.M. this day a large procession from the neighbourhood of Hilltown and Mayo Bridge, county Down, with bands and banners, passed through the principal streets of the town as far as William Street, which is at the extreme end of the town, where they were joined by another procession which had formed on the Mall. The entire body, numbering about 8,000, having seven bands and 16 banners, turned up Castle Street, and again marched through the principal streets and went to the place of meeting, about one mile from the town. The banners bore the inscriptions 'God save Ireland,' 'For God and your country,' 'The Land for the People,' &c. The meeting lasted until about 5 P.M., and was addressed by Messrs. T. D. Sullivan, J. P. Small, M.P., John Dudley (Belfast). O'Brien, M.P., John Ferguson (Glasgow), Iver M'Guiness (Pontypass), Father O'Neill (Rostrevor), and Father Quin (Camlough). The meeting lasted two hours and a quarter. It terminated at 5.15 P.M., when the procession returned to town, reaching it about a quarter to 6, and shortly after it passed the Orange Hall some stones were thrown at it by some members of the opposite party, who were dispersed by the police. The contingents from Camlough and Newry, who had escorted the Mayo Bridge party some short distance outside the town, were attacked with stones when returning. I was in rear of the procession at the time, and had the parties dispersed by the police. Mr. Wray, County Inspector, was more in front. On the procession approaching the Orange Hall several shots were fired out of the windows and doors. This exasperated the Nationalist Party, who retaliated by throwing stones at the windows, breaking 10 panes of glass. More shots were then fired from the windows of the Protestant Hall, and one of the bullets, which passed through a shutter of a window on the opposite side of the street, has been found. Mr. Wray, County Inspector, ordered District Inspector Green and party to force their way into the Orange Hall, and all the persons therein, 67 in number, were placed under arrest. Five revolvers were found in the room and one outside, under the window. Some presented the appearance of having been recently discharged, and some of the chambers of them were still loaded. Two of the prisoners—namely, Charles Kernaghan, publican, Newry, and George Morrison, keeper of the Orange Hall—have been fully identified by the police as having fired shots from the window and door, and Kernaghan had a number of revolver cartridges in his possession. A third man, William Orr, clerk. Newry, was observed throwing a revolver out of the window by District Inspector Green, and he has been discharged, on a guarantee given by his solicitor to appear to-morrow. Kernaghan and Morrison have been committed to gaol until Wednesday next. All the other prisoners have been discharged, to be summoned if necessary. When the procession, was returning towards the Orange Hall down Sandy Street some stones were thrown at it over the tops of houses. As far as I can ascertain no person has been injured. I consider the prompt lotion taken by County Inspector Wray and District Inspector Green deserving of the greatest praise, as the course they pursued will be the means of bringing some of the guilty parties to justice. The magisterial inquiry did not terminate until 12 o'clock midnight. H. G. Gary, County Inspector.

MR. GIBSON

I should like to ask the Chief Secretary if the authorities took any, and, if so, what, steps to prevent the procession, either in going or returning, from marching in close and direct proximity to the Orange Hall?

LORD ARTHUR HILL

I would direct the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to the fact that he has not answered a single point in my Question.

MR. TREVELYAN

I have told the noble Lord that I sent for a Report, and that that Report states that certain people had thrown stones at the procession, and had been dispersed, but that no one had been injured. That is as much information as I have hitherto been able to obtain on the subject. If the noble Lord wishes I should specially refer the report in The Times to the authorities, I am perfectly willing to do so.

LORD CLAUD HAMILTON

Has the right hon. Gentleman any objection to print and to lay upon the Table the Correspondence which has recently taken place between the Lord Lieutenant and the noble Lord (Lord Arthur Hill) as a Parliamentary Paper?

MR. TREVELYAN

If it is thought by the House desirable that I should do so I have no objection to do it.

MR. GIBSON

I beg to remind the right hon. Gentleman that I have not yet got an answer to the very plain Question which I have asked. Everyone know where the Orange Hall was. Were any, and, if so, what, steps taken by the Executive or local authorities to prevent the procession either going to or coining from Newry from marching in direct proximity to the Orange Hall?

MR. TREVELYAN

I am not aware that any steps were taken to prevent the procession from marching in proximity to the Orange Hall. The Orange Hall is in the main street of the town; and I think it is a very strong thing to say that because the Orange Hall stands in the main street of the town, and has within it men armed with revolvers and prepared to break the law, that any procession permitted by the law should be ordered not to pass that way.