HC Deb 15 March 1887 vol 312 cc353-4
MR. CHANCE(for Mr. T. M. HEALY) (Longford, N.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Are Union officials allowed by the Local Government Board to be members of the Orange organiza- tion;is it. contrary to rule that they should deliver public speeches;will he invite the attention of the Local Government Board to the speech of Brother Hugh Johnson, Master of Orange Lodge 269, an officer of Magherafelt Union, reported in The Belfast Weekly News of 5th March, as follows:— He then urged on all the brethren to be more united than ever, and to beware of all traitors, showing the possibility of there being in all societies Lundys and traitors;and, holding in his hand a Report of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, proved the truth of his assertion that even in their own locality they were under the painful necessity of expelling perjured 'traitors' from their ranks; and, whether he has any reason to believe that the persons so named as traitors on the list of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland are in danger of outrage;and, if so, will he afford them police protection?

MR. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)

asked, before the right hon. Gentleman answered the Question, if he was not aware that this charge was a pure fabrication;and whether there was in the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland such number as that of the Lodge specified in the Question, and therefore if there was any necessity for affording police protection to parties as suggested in the Question?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the statement made by my hon. Friend (Mr. Johnston), the ugh all I know about the matter is derived from half-a-minute's inspection of one of the Rules of the Orange Society shown to me by my hon. Friend. With regard to the Question on the Paper, there is no rule of the Local Government Board on the subject of Union officials being members of the Orange Organization. The only officer of the Magherafelt Union who bears the name of Hugh Johnston is the shoemaker of the workhouse. If the hon. and learned Member will give me the names of any persons whom he thinks might be endangered by anything in the speech referred to, I shall communicate with the Local Authorities. I think myself his fears are unfounded.