HC Deb 23 February 1881 vol 258 cc1605-6
MR. LEAHY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the report is true which appeared in the "Freeman's Journal" of the 19th instant, that the 20th Hussars, when passing through Athy, where they were billeted on the night of the 18th instant, committed a number of outrages on the unoffending inhabitants, knocked down a child, and pitched a man into the street, and marched through the streets uttering a peculiar kind of yell, and wanted to got their guns to clear the streets; and, if so, whether he would order steps to be taken to bring the offenders to justice?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

Sir, I have not yet been able to procure the information which the hon. Member asks for, and I must therefore ask him to postpone his Question for a day or two.

MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has yet obtained a Return of Agrarian Crime in Ireland during the first fortnight of the present month; and, if so, how soon he will lay it upon the Table of the House; and, whether he intends to withhold from the House until after his Irish Coercion Bill has passed beyond the cognizance of the House the detailed Return of Agrarian Crime in Ireland for the month of December, which was ordered by the House six weeks ago?

MR. W. E. FORSTER,

in reply, said, he did not think it was necessary to give fortnightly Returns. The Returns for last month would be laid on the Table in a few days. With regard to the detailed Return of Agrarian Crime for December, he had done everything he could to hasten its completion; and although it was not yet ready, he hoped it would soon be in the hands of Members.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

asked, Would the right hon. Gentleman defer the third reading of his Coercion Bill until these Returns, upon which he had stated the Bill was founded, were in the hands of hon. Members, in order that they might form a correct judgment as to whether the Bill was necessary or not?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

Certainly not. The hon. Gentleman could not expect it.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

I can and do expect it.