HC Deb 06 April 1869 vol 195 cc230-1
MR. E. FOWLER

said, he wished to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether it is true, as reported in The Times and other Newspapers, that at Guard Mounting in the Castle Yard, Dublin, on St. Patrick's Day, the populace "indulged in revelry of a dangerous form, and afterwards expressed their hatred of England by groaning and hissing the National Anthem in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland?"

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

Sir, I was almost sorry when I saw on the Paper the Question of the hon. Member, because it tends to give something like importance to circumstances of the most trivial nature. But of course I have made it my business to ascertain the facts, both officially from the Police Commissioners and from persons in the suite of the Lord Lieutenant, and perhaps the best thing I can do is to read a sentence or two from the Report of the Commissioners of Police, which is more than confirmed by others who were present. The Commissioners say— The conduct of the populace assembled in the Upper Castle Yard on St. Patrick's Day on the occasion of relieving guard was, on the whole, more orderly than has been the case on former similar occasions. The yard was crowded to excess, so much so that many people failed in their endeavours to get in. Their Excellencies the Lord Lieutenant and the Countess Spencer were most enthusiastically received on their appearance on the balcony. A few 'roughs' got up a dance for a short time;— I suppose this was the "dangerous revelry "spoken of— nothing, however, but good-humour prevailed; and after the bands left the yard the crowd broke up and went peaceably to their homes. It would appear that there was a certain amount of hissing and groaning when the National Anthem was played at the close of the proceedings, but not greater than in former years on the same occasion, nor than may be heard, more or less, at the theatres. I am sorry to say that it has been a very bad and offensive habit on the part of the lowest of the population of Dublin on some of these occasions to express disapprobation of the National Anthem—not, I believe, out of any personal disrespect to Her Majesty, but thinking that it is an emblem of British connection, I suppose. Upon the occasion referred to by the hon. Member, however, there was nothing unusual, and nothing which ought to have been described in the words of the extract which he quoted.

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