§ MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN (Mayo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that a police constable named Connell, stationed at Schull, County Cork, deliberately loaded his rifle in the presence of a large assemblage of people returning from a meeting which was addressed by Mr. William O'Brien, M.P.; whether he is also aware that Connell, with another police constable, followed Mr. William O'Brien from Schull to Bantry, carrying a loaded rifle in his hand; and whether police constables, when following Irish Members of Parliament, are ordered to carry loaded firearms?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Constabulary authorities report that the fact is substantially as stated in the first paragraph of the question. The constable did not follow Mr. O'Brien to Bantry with a loaded rifle. There is no order extant in the Force of the nature indicated in the last paragraph.