§ MR. GROGANsaid, he wished to put a question to the Secretary for Ireland, with reference to the accounts which had appeared in the public papers respecting an affray which had taken place in Dublin between the students of Trinity College 173 and the Police. It would be necessary for him to state a few facts. The outrage took place on Friday last, on the occasion of his Excellency Lord Eglington assuming the reins of Government in Ireland. It was a general holiday and great crowds were assembled. [" Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must confine himself to stating such particulars only as may be necessary to explain the question he is about to put.
§ MR. GROGANsaid, that such was his intention. The locality whore it occurred was called College Green. On one side stood the College: and in front of it was a largo semi-circular space of ground, the property of the College, divided from the street by a wall, with iron gates. Within those precints the students of the College were assembled in great numbers. ["Order, order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must confine himself to the facts on which his question is to be founded.
§ MR. GROGANwent on to say that the hoys who were assembled there amused themselves by throwing oranges and apples at one another, and also amongst the people outside; there was, however, no ebullition of party feeling.—["Order, order!"] —The procession of his Excellency passed the spot.—[" Order."]
§ MR. SPEAKERIf the hon. Member enters upon such details as these, it will be calculated to lead to a debate, which is contrary to the orders of the House.
§ MR. GROGANsaid, he did not know how he could put the House in possession of the facts without stating them. [" Question, question."]
LORD NAASsaid, that it was unfortunately true that on Friday last a very serious collision took place between the Dublin metropolitan police and a number of the students of Trinity College assembled within the railings of that building, when, he was afraid, many of the students were seriously wounded, and some of the police also very much hurt. As soon as the matter was brought to his notice, the same evening he directed the Commissioners of Police to report to the Government upon the subject. Their report reached him at five o'clock last night in Dublin, and was now in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant. On Saturday, the Proctors and two of the Senior Fellows of the College waited upon him (Lord Naas) and informed him that it was their intention to draw up a statement of what 174 they considered to be the case, accompanied by certain depositions which they were going to have taken, and to lay them before the Government. That statement would, he expected, be in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant either this evening or tomorrow morning. On the same day, in the afternoon, the College authorities expressed a wish that an opportunity might be afforded to some of the students who had been hurt, or had witnessed the affray, to identify those of the police who had been most violent. He at once gave orders that the police should be paraded for that purpose, and the result was, that on Saturday evening, several of the horse police, and yesterday, some of the foot police, were identified by students and others, as having been most active in the fight. Under these circumstances it was impossible that he should state decidedly what course the Government would take. All he could say was that the matter would receive their most serious consideration, and that as soon as all the facts of the case were before them, in the report of the Commissioners of Police, and the statement of the College authorities, they would be prepared to form a judgment upon them, and to take such steps as it seemed to them most proper to adopt.