HC Deb 16 June 1879 vol 246 cc1916-8
MR. CALLAN

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether his attention has been drawn to the report which appeared in the "Freeman's Journal" of Friday, June 13, wherein it is stated that a meeting convened by the following placard extensively circulated:— The Irish University Bill. A public meeting will be held in Cookstown on Thursday, 12th June, to support The O'Conor Don's University Bill. Chair to be taken at two o'clock. Friends of denominational education are earnestly requested to attend; was dispersed and forcibly prevented from holding the meeting, by the police numbering upwards of one hundred men, under arms, under the command of Captain Waring, R.M., Mr. J. B. Moore, J.P., and County Inspector Murphy; that the authorities, through Captain Waring, ordered the police to charge, who did so at the double, and the processionists were thrown into the utmost confusion and were most unceremoniously huddled backwards at the point of a double line of bayonets; is it a fact, as stated in the same report, that— The processionists were most orderly, nothing1 in the way of drunkenness being in the slightest degree visible," and that "for several years the town has been the scene of recurring saturnalias of the Orange party, and nothing in the way of let or hindrance goes to mar their proceedings; whether Her Majesty's Government approve of such conduct on the part of Captain Waring and the police authorities, and are prepared to deny to the Catholics of Tyrone the right of public meeting to petition Parliament in favour of a Bill under the consideration of this House; and, whether any orders or instructions have been given by the Irish Executive to the said magistrates or inspector; and, if so, what is the purport of these orders or instructions, and is there any objection to lay them upon the Table of this House?

MR. J. LOWTHER

Sir, I have seen the newspaper report to which the hon. Member refers; and the report, read in extenso, appears to give a very accurate account of the proceedings in question, although the extracts, taken by themselves, hardly convey a correct account of what took place. It appears, from what I am able to learn from all sources, that the procession was formed for the purpose of holding a meeting at a particular place. Among the processionists were men armed with revolvers and other weapons, which they appear to have made use of on their line of march when engaged in wrecking houses. There was also collected on the route proposed to be taken by the procession an opposition crowd, likewise armed, and posted there avowedly to stop the processionists by force. Sworn informations having been made that a breach of the peace was likely to occur, the resident magistrate, very properly as I think, prevented a collision by impartially dispersing both crowds. No special instructions were given by the Government as to the course to be adopted by the authorities on the spot, which appears to me to have been judicious as well as successful, and to have prevented a serious breach of the peace.

MR. CALLAN

I beg to ask, in addition, as the right hon. Gentleman has referred to various sources of information, Whether it is on the authority of the police he states that the processionists were armed with revolvers?

MR. J. LOWTHER

I made that statement on official information received—not any special report, but information from various sources.

MR. CALLAN

I want to ask if the information is from the authorities?

MR. J. LOWTHER

Yes, certainly; from the authorities, but not solely from the police.

MR. O'DONNELL

Sir, I had a Notice on the Paper to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If it is true that a public meeting in favour of the Irish University Bill has been prevented in the County Tyrone by a body of constabulary charging with fixed bayonets a peaceful procession? but I will not now put the right hon. Gentleman to the trouble of answering it. However, I beg to give Notice that I will call attention, at an early opportunity, to the support of illegal associations by Her Majesty's Government in the North of Ireland.