§ MR. FLYNNI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has seen the reports in the local papers that at Killeagh Fair, on 28th July, several Nationalist dealers were shadowed by police constables throughout the day, and also that Mr. Edward O'Brien, P.L.G., James O'Brien, and Charles O'Brien, were
all day persistently followed by policemen, who pryed into their affairs, and rendered it difficult for those men to transact their business;and, if so, will instructions be issued by the Constabulary Authorities to policemen not to carry the practice of shadowing to the extent of interfering with the transactions of men engaged in business at fairs and markets in Ireland?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am informed by the Constabulary Authorities that on the occasion referred to three persons were watched by the police, but that not one of these persons was a dealer. They were James O'Brien, Charles O'Brien, and a man named Lynch, all of whom are known to the police to be employed in attempting to boycott the sale 1550 of cattle. Mr. Edward O'Brien, who, as a matter of fact, does not appear to have arrived until the fair was over, was not shadowed. The police did not in any way interfere so as to render difficult the transaction of any legitimate business.
§ MR. FLYNNIn a recent case did not the right hon. Gentleman promise that the constabulary should not shadow men who had business at a fair. In this case the men shadowed had business which was seriously interfered with. Will the right hon. Gentleman issue stringent orders to that effect?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe police will not interfere with any men who are legitimately carrying on lawful business.