HC Deb 14 July 1881 vol 263 cc844-5
MR. R. POWER

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If his attention has been called to a speech made at a meeting of the Town Council of Waterford by the Mayor of that city, in which the Chief Magistrate said— That by the action of the Government in prescribing the city business relations and the ratepayers were injuriously affected, and the general trade damaged; and, if he would state if any person had been arrested in Waterford since it has been declared a prescribed district?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

, in reply, said, he had seen the report in The Waterford Daily Mail of the speech made by the Mayor of Waterford; and he did not appear to have stated, with regard to the prescribing of the city and county of Waterford, that it had injuriously affected the business relations of the ratepayers. What he stated was that, in his opinion, the action of the Government might have that effect. No person had been arrested in the City of Waterford since it was prescribed.

MR. LEAMY

asked whether, since no person had been arrested, the right hon. Gentleman still considered it necessary that Waterford City should be prescribed?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, he did. He thought it likely that prescribing the city had made arrests unnecessary.

MR. LEAMY

asked if the right hon. Gentleman had inquired into the circumstances of the arrest of Mr. J. T. Power, who had been arrested under the Coercion Act?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, he had examined into the alleged grounds of arrest, and satisfied himself on the point.