HC Deb 07 April 1881 vol 260 cc869-71
MR. O'DONNELL

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether a searching inquiry will be granted into the alleged disturbance of a Catholic congregation and interruption of the religious worship of a detachment of Catholic soldiers by an officer in garrison at Birr on Sunday?

MR. TOTTENHAM

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the officer commanding a party of troops attending Divine Service is not required by the existing regulations to withdraw his men from any place of worship where political topics are entered upon by the officiating minister?

MR. SEXTON

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the following statement, published by the London press on the 28th ultimo, is accurate:— An exciting scene occurred during Mass yesterday in the Parsonstown Roman Catholic Chapel. The officiating priest was referring to the doings of the Land League and other local occurrences, when an officer in command of the troops from Birr garrison stood up, and in loud tones ordered his men to withdraw. Indescribable confusion followed, women fainted, and a general rush was made for the door. The soldiers obeyed their commander, and were marched off to the barracks, followed by an immense crowd, hooting and groaning; whether, if the report be accurate, the officer acted in obedience to instructions from his superiors; and, if he had no such instructions, whether the military authorities will take notice of this proceeding; whether the officer had been only five months in the service; and whether he ought to have been put in command of so large a body of men; whether, in coming down the stairs which lead from the gallery of the church, he met a woman coming up, and struck her in the bosom with such violence that she fell down and remained insensible for some time, and has since been confined to her room; and, whether the officiating clergyman made any reference to the Land League?

MR. CHILDERS

Sir, in reply to the hon. Members for Dungarvan and Sligo, and the hon. Member for Leitrim about the withdrawal of soldiers from Divine Service at Birr on the 27th ultimo, I have to state that I have made full inquiry into the circumstances, with the following result:—It appears that on Sunday, the 6th of March, Colonel Brodigan, commanding the 28th Regiment, was informed by the officer who marched the Roman Catholic soldiers to Mass that the preacher on the occasion referred in his sermon chiefly to political subjects. Colonel Brodigan, who is a Roman Catholic, instructed the officer that— If duly constituted authority was held up to contempt on any occasion in the chapel his duty would be to withdraw the men from the influence of such doctrine. On the 27th ultimo the Rev. P. Brennan' curate to Dr. Bugler, the Vicar General, who is chaplain to the troops, preached a sermon which, according to his own admission, contained much political matter. According to the report of the officer, himself a Roman Catholic, and several Roman Catholic sergeants, he not only used political language, but made a violent attack on the institutions of the country; and the officer, acting on the instructions he had received, marched his men out of chapel. Dr. Bugler states that no woman was struck, but that one was accidentally pushed down in the confusion which resulted, but she certainly was not insensible. Colonel Brodigan had, on the 29th of March, an interview with the Vicar General and his curate, and they agreed that in future no reference should be made in their sermons to political subjects when the troops were attending Mass. There is no printed regulation on this subject; but it is manifest that officers in command of soldiers at church or chapel must be allowed to exercise some discretion as to permitting them to remain there when language is used in sermons to which soldiers would not be allowed to listen if spoken at a public meeting. In this case no blame can be attached to Lieutenant Keatinge, who, though only for five months in the Service, had been for some years a Militia officer. He was only in command of 65 men on the occasion, and, as I have already said, was detailed for that duty as a Roman Catholic.

MR. O'DONNELL

asked whether the only institution attacked was not the existing land system?

MR. CHILDERS

said, it appeared from the Report that the institutions attacked went far beyond the land system. The Vicar General and his curate admitted that the sermon contained much political matter.