§ MR. W. J. CORBETasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the charge delivered by the County Court Judge at Wicklow on the 20th January 1882, in which he congratulated the grand jury in the most emphatic terms on the peace- 1704 ful condition of the eastern division of the county, adding, as regards the western division—
There were but two criminal cases there which were referred back to the assizes, leaving not a single case to go before the grand jury, and there was no criminal business whatever in the town of Baltinglass;Whether his attention has been called to the Return of Agrarian Crime for 1881, since issued to Members, from which it appears that, excepting thirty-four threatening letters, only eleven offences, none of them being offences against the person, are recorded against the County Wicklow for the twelve months; whether his attention has been called to the Return, just issued, of the amounts levied in the several counties in Ireland for malicious injuries in 1881, from which it appears that the sum levied off Wicklow County was only £25, as against an average of £694 for every other county in Ireland; and, whether, on reconsideration of all the circumstances, he will now advise the Lord Lieutenant to revoke, as provided by the Acts 44 Vic, chapters 4 and 5, the Orders in Council under which the County Wicklow was proscribed and proclaimed?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, he had previously answered a Question of the hon. Member's as to the state of Wicklow, and he could only repeat the answer now. The County Wicklow had been proclaimed. [Mr. W. J. CORBET: Upon what grounds?] It would take too long to state the grounds; but it was proclaimed because the Government thought it necessary to do so. It was a notorious fact that there was a great amount of "Boycotting" and intimidation, which made it necessary for the Government to take steps.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER"Boycotting," when accompanied by intimidation, is a crime.