§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has yet examined the circumstances connected with the trial and imprisonment of a number of persons at Gunsborough, county Kerry, under the Crime Prevention Act, on a charge of unlawful assembly and assault on the police; and, whether, under all the circumstances, the Government think it expedient, especially with regard to the three Misses Buckley, that the sentences inflicted in this case should be endured in full?
§ MR. TREVELYANI have examined into the circumstances of the cases referred to in the Question; but I find no reason to recommend the Lord Lieutenant to interfere with the course of the law. The facts are briefly as follows:—The police at a neighbouring protection post received private information that two women who are living with a "Boycotted" woman near Guns-borough would be assaulted when returning from Listowel. Two sub-constables were consequently sent out on patrol duty, and on reaching the neighbourhood of Mr. Buckley's house they saw a crowd of 20 or 30 persons assembled, who hooted them, cheered for the Land League, and threw stones after them. The police, however, succeeded in getting the crowd to disperse, and returned to barracks; but later in the evening the two women for whose protection they had gone out were assaulted and struck with stones at the very same place. Seven men were convicted of having taken part in an unlawful assembly, and were sentenced by the magistrates to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, and the three girls, daughters of Mr. Lawrence Buckley, a farmer, were sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment without hard labour. The "Boycotted" woman referred to has since been threatened, and is now under police protection.