MR. ARCHDALEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the attention of the Government had been called to the charges of the Judges in the Counties of Fermanagh, Derry, Tyrone, and Armagh, animadverting on the absence of crime and quiet peaceable state of those counties, which contain more Orangemen than all the rest of Ireland, and for what reason Lord Spencer has proclaimed those counties?
MR. TREYELYANThese counties were proclaimed under the 8th section of the Prevention of Crime Act, so that any cases of rioting which might occur 741 could be dealt with summarily under its provisions. The general state of crime referred to in the Charges of Judges would not come within the motives which induced the Government to proclaim those counties. Those motives were that in cases where riots had occurred considerable doubt was felt as to the tribunal by which the cases would be tried on account of the supposed partiality of the Justices.
§ MR. SEXTONHow does the right hon. Gentleman reconcile the statement he has just made with the proclamation of the County Louth, where no case of riot whatever has occurred?
§ [No reply.]