§ MR. P. M'DONALD(for Mr. M. J. KENNY) (Tyrone, Mid)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If on the 6th January, the date of the proclaimed meeting at Dromore, County Tyrone, a ballad singer was summarily sentenced by two Resident Magistrates to a month's imprisonment for singing some verses in the street to an audience chiefly composed of members of the Constabulary Force; if he can state the grounds on which the proceeding was taken; if the conduct of the ballad singer constituted a breach of the Proclamation; and, will the Government order an investigation into the matter?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: the man referred to was not proceeded against until after he had been frequently cautioned by the police. The ballad was of an inflammatory character, and calculated to incite a breach of the peace. The audience was not chiefly composed of members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, but of the public. The two Resident Magistrates before whom he was summarily tried ordered him to find sureties to be of good behaviour, or in default to be imprisoned for one month. Failing to give sureties, he was committed. He was not charged with a breach of the Proclamation. The Government see no ground for making a further investigation into the matter.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)asked, if the right hon. and gallant Gentleman could inform them whether all the ballad singers of Ireland were to have a censor to whom they must submit their ballads before they could sing them in the street?
§ MR. P. M'DONALDasked, if the right hon. and gallant Gentleman would lay the incriminating ballad on the Table?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANNo, Sir.