§ MR. LABOUCHEREasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it had been brought to his notice that it had been sworn that Head Constable Gallagher and Sergeant Faussett, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and being now in this country on subpoenas from the solicitor of the Times, were directed by one Shannon, an agent of the Times, to accompany the Times witness Pigott from the Royal Courts of Justice to his hotel, and to reside at said hotel, in order to protect Pigott in case of need; whether the members of the Royal Irish Constabulary now in London on subpoenas, were permitted to take the orders of the agents and sub-agents of the Times, or to protect the Times' witnesses by order of the said agents or sub-agents; whether Head Constable Gallagher and Sergeant Faussett reported to their official superiors that they were being employed by a sub-agent of the Times in protecting a Times' witness; whether they were in receipt of official full pay during the period of their residence in London under subpoena, and their employment by the agents or sub-agents of the Times; whether he was aware that Sergeant Faussett had already appeared as a witness for the 583 Times, and why he still remained in London absent from his duty; and whether he would lay upon the Table of the House a Return giving the names of all the members of the Irish Constabulary, of all the Resident Magistrates, and of all other employés of the Irish Government, and who had come to this country under subpoenas from the Times, together with the number of days that each of them had remained in this country?
MR. MAC NEILLasked a Question of which he had given private notice—namely, whether the Shannon referred to in the Question was a brother of Mr. P. H. Shannon, an officer of the Royal Irish Constabulary, who filled the post of secretary to Colonel Turner, Divisional Magistrate, who was subsequently appointed a Resident Magistrate by the present Government? He asked this in order to show the connection of the present Government with the Times.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not see the relevancy of the Question, but I believe the fact which is stated is correct. It appears that Mr. Shannon, the solicitor, did not give any order to Head Constable Gallagher or Sergeant Faussett (not Forrest) to protect Pigott. What he did do was to ask the above men to change their hotel to the one at which Pigott was residing, in order that their presence there might prevent his being molested. They had no orders to interfere with his movements, or to follow him outside the hotel. No orders whatever emanated from these men's officers in the matter. The members of this force who are in London are in receipt of official full pay during their residence there on subpoena, and if they are employed by the agents or sub-agents of the Times except as witnesses it is not with my sanction. As regards the proposed Return, I think it would be very inadvisable to publish the names of the witnesses before they have been examined.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that Mr. Shannon swore before the Royal Commission that he had directed one of these constables to go with Pigott from the Royal Commission to his hotel?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I am not aware of that fact. Of course, the information I get is not from Mr. Shannon.
§ MR. CHANCEIs it not a fact that the Royal Irish Constabulary have witnesses in London in charge of an inspector, for the purposes of the Times; and will the right hon. Gentleman inquire whether it was with that gentleman's sanction, consent, or connivance that these constables were placed at the unrestricted disposal of Mr. Shannon, of the Times?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt is perfectly true that these constables are in the charge of an inspector, but I do not assent to the accuracy of the statement made by the hon. Gentleman that they are under the control of any agent of the Times.
§ MR. CHANCEWill the right hon. Gentleman inquire whether that is so or not?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI shall be glad to make any inquiry. Perhaps a Question will be put on the Paper.