THE EARL OF LIMERICKmoved for a Return of all robberies and attempted robberies of arms which have been reported by the Royal Irish Constabulary between the 1st of January 1878 and the 31st of March 1880, giving particulars of crime, arrests, and results of proceedings in the following form:—Number, date, and name of persons whose arms were taken or attempted to be taken; offence, giving description and short details of persons made amenable and the result of the proceedings. The noble Earl said, he moved for this Return, which was supplemental to the Return which the Lord President of the Council moved for a short time ago with regard to agrarian crime.
§ EARL SPENCERsaid, he did not move for the Return referred to.
THE EARL OF LIMERICKbegged pardon for the mistake he had made. He referred to the Return which the late Lord President of the Council laid upon the Table. That Return contained the number of agrarian crimes in Ireland committed during the course of 1879 and the first month of the present year, and many of their Lordships considered that that Return showed a state of things in Ireland which was by no means satisfactory. The number of offences contained in that Return was no less than 979; but from the nature of the Return it was im- 530 possible to include in it a number of very grave offences, which also, he thought, showed a very unsatisfactory state of things in Ireland—namely, robberies, and attempted robberies of arms. He believed offences of this character had prevailed to a great extent throughout Ireland during the last year; and he knew, from his own personal experience, that in a very small district indeed no less than six outrages had been committed within the space of a very few miles in a very short space of time by armed bands varying in number from two to ten, with different degrees of violence. From his own experience, he feared that the number of these offences committed throughout Ireland in the course of the year must have been very considerable. It could scarcely be supposed that the object of the persons engaged in those outrages was mere robbery, or that their intention was to use the arms only in shooting hares and rabbits. It was to be feared that they desired possession of arms for a purpose much more serious. The form in which he moved for the Return was identical with that adopted in the Return relating to agrarian outrages to which he had referred. He trusted it would be found that he was wrong in assuming that this particular class of crime had been numerous; but he thought, in any case, it would be desirable to have information on the subject.
§ EARL SPENCERHer Majesty's Government have no objection to grant the Return for which my noble Friend has moved.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Return of all robberies and attempted robberies of arms which have been reported by the Royal Irish Constabulary between the 1st of January 1879 and the 31st of March 1880, giving particulars of crime, arrests, and results of proceedings in the following form:—Number: Date of Offence: Names of Persons whose Arms were taken or attempted to be taken: Offence:—Description; Short Details; Names of Persons made amenable: Result of Proceedings.—(The Earl of Limerick.)
§ Ordered to be laid before the House.