§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, with reference to the late outrage on St. Patrick's Day in Londonderry, Whether the attention of the Government has been called to the fact that, in August 1877, a similar explosive to that flung into and exploded in the ball-room in Derry on last St. Patrick's Day, viz. an iron axle-box charged with powder, was fired in St. Columb's Court in Derry upon the occasion of the Prentice Boys' Celebration, causing thereby alarm to and injury to the property of the inhabitants of said place; whether a similar outrage was repeated there last August; whether another explosive, viz. a jar containing gunpowder and stones, with fuze attached, was attempted to be exploded among the Catholic Processionists upon St. Patrick's Day 1878, near the same neighbourhood of St. Columb's Court; whether the axle-boxes so exploded in St. Columb's Court, Derry, were taken possession of by the police; whether the authorities have any knowledge of who caused this explosion; and, whether they perceive any connection between those outrages and the late outrage, and what steps were taken to punish the offender in any of these cases?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the facts of this occurrence are, I think, stated with substantial accuracy in the Question of the hon. Gentleman. I am sorry to say that though every effort has been made to detect the offenders, including the offer of a substantial reward, no evidence has yet been obtained which would be likely to lead to the apprehension and conviction of the parties.