§ SIR WILLIAM VERNERsaid, he wished to ask the Attorney General for Ireland whether the Government has received any account of a procession in the streets of Tuam, which procession was composed of priests and others of the Church of Rome in their ecclesiastical costume, and carrying the Host, and whether such procession was conformable to law? It was represented in the newspapers that the Roman Catholic Bishop, Dr. M'Hale, appeared in the streets surmounted by a canopy borne by four priests, followed by trains of nuns and young ladies, and a great multitude of persons. He wanted, therefore, to know whether such processions were according to law, and, if not, what steps the Government meant to take to prevent the recurrence of these outrages?
§ MR. WHITESIDEsaid, that such a procession as his hon. and gallant Friend described to have taken place would not be conformable to law; but the application of the law to a case depended upon the existence of the fact. He had seen a report describing what had occurred at Tuam, but it did not state that any procession had taken place in the streets. He hoped that no such procession either had been or would be attempted, and that the good sense of the persons referred to would prevent such a violation of the law.