HC Deb 30 June 1882 vol 271 cc911-2
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that Captain Barton, a deputy lieutenant and justice of the peace for the county of Fermanagh, has resorted to violent measures against Mr. Hugh M'Intyre, Poor Law Guardian, of Cliffoney, county Sligo, in consequence of a dispute at law between Captain Barton and Mr. M'Intyre respecting rights of fishing in the Bunduff River; whether, on the 16th May last, Captain Barton, accompanied by a police constable, two soldiers, and five other men, went from Captain Barton's to Mr. M'Intyre's side of the river, proceeded to remove a fishing shoal, the property of Mr. M'Intyre, and continued to do so until warned by Mr. M'Intyre that they were violating his legal rights; whether, on the 23rd May, four days after Mr. M'Intyre had served summonses for trespass and damages, Captain Barton, accompanied by two soldiers and five civilians, again proceeded to remove the shoal and damage the fishery; whether, on that occasion, Mr. M'Intyre struck out of the hand of one of the civilians a burning coal, which he was about to apply to a fuse attached to a charge of dynamite, placed close to Mr. M'Intyre's fishing pier, and, whether, on being questioned, he admitted he had received the dynamite from Captain Barton; whether, a third time, on the 25th May, five men in Captain Barton's employment, accompanied by Acting-Constable Jackson, again proceeded to remove the shoal, and, on being remonstrated with by Mr. M'Intyre, and warned of the danger of a violent collision between his men and Captain Barton's, whether the acting-constable arrested Mr. M'Intyre, brought him in custody two miles to the Tullaghan Police Station, and kept him there six hours till a magistrate came and ordered his release, declaring there was no charge against him; whether, if the facts be as stated, the Government will explain how soldiers came to be concerned in these proceedings; whether they will inquire into the conduct of Acting-Constable Jackson; and, whether they will invite the Lord Chancellor to consider the propriety of retaining Captain Barton in the commission of the peace?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, I must ask the hon. Member to be so good as to postpone this Question until Monday. My inquiries in reference to it have not yet concluded.