§ MR. KAVANAGHasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been called to that part of the Charge delivered by Baron Deasy, when presiding as Judge of Assize at Tralee the other day, where, referring to the burning of the effigy of Judge Keogh, he said—
This disgraceful proceeding was allowed to go on from commencement to conclusion without any attempt on the part of the police to interfere with those concerned in it. The example, owing to inaction thus set in the capital, was followed in the provinces, and those scenes were allowed to go on, for what reason I know not, without any attempt to prevent or punish the perpetrators of them on the part of the authorities. But the one we have to deal with is distinguished by one remarkable circumstance from all others, I believe, or at least with one exception, and that circumstance is that the prime actors, as far as I can learn—the conductors and leaders of this disgraceful scene—are, I regret to say, soldiers of the Kerry regiment of Militia, men enlisted for training in this county. According to the documents before me, no less than one hundred of these men conducted and formed part of the procession. Some walked in front and acted as leaders, giving the word of command to their followers. Some formed in military array on the flank of the procession, in order to protect it from interference on the part of the authorities, and when one constable—the high constable, I believe—remonstrated with the persons active in that disgraceful proceeding, he was set upon and beaten by some of the soldiers of that regiment; they using for the purpose of wreaking their vengeance on him the accoutrements provided for them by the Government. The soldiers of Her Majesty's Army—our preservers, of whom we have read so much, who are enrolled as a body, not merely for the protection of foreign invasion, which I trust will never occur, but also for the preservation of the public peace—whose duty it would be, if necessary, by their arms and discipline, to preserve 1749 the public peace—they are in that disturbance the organizers, the ringleaders, consorting in that disgraceful insult to one of Her Majesty's Judges, and when interference is attempted on behalf of Her Majesty's officers they are set upon by militiamen and wounded by the very instruments provided by the Government. This is a matter well worthy of the consideration of the military authorities, and I direct it to the strict attention of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for War;and, whether any steps have been taken by the military authorities to punish those militiamen who took part in the procession and riot alluded to?
§ MR. CARDWELLI have received a report from the General Officer commanding in Ireland. Five men of the Kerry Militia have been tried for their participation in these proceedings, two of whom have been convicted and punished and three acquitted. Lord Ventry, the officer commanding, appears to have acted with judgment when the disturbance arose; but having no warning that any disturbance was likely, he had not taken the precautionary measures which he would otherwise have taken. Lord Sandhurst proposes to issue general instructions for the guidance of Militia officers who may be placed in circumstances requiring the like vigilance.