§ MR. GIBSONasked the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether he will give the House any information he can with regard to the terrible assassination which occurred in Dublin on Saturday evening?
§ MR. TREVELYANI have heard many and interesting particulars of what passed in Dublin on Saturday night, and I know very well what are the views and intentions of the Irish Government; but I do not feel justified in communicating to the House anything beyond what has transpired through the newspapers. I must ask hon. Members to consider that it is important to keep in their minds the distinction between the general state of Ireland and the special question of violent organized crime in Dublin. The agrarian outrages in the current month will almost certainly fall below 100 for the first time since 28 months; but the Irish Government have never concealed from themselves that murderous crime in Dublin was a question apart from the general state of law and order in Ireland—I do not say altogether, but in some respects apart. With that crime, from causes to which I cannot refer more nearly, but chiefly owing to what, I cannot but think, are the excellent arrangements of the Irish Police Department, as at present conducted, we have now reached a stage of open and determined conflict. High and low, the servants of Her Majesty are resolved to do their duty in the matter; and I trust that the country will recognize the heroic courage of the brave men who have had an opportunity of showing of what stuff the Dublin police are made, and the courage of that gallant Sergeant Danvers, of the Rifles, who stood by them under circumstances I venture to think—though I have never been under fire—more trying than those of ordinary battle. The inquest on Constable Cox began at 2 o'clock to-day, and I do not yet know the issue of it. It is a melancholy satisfaction to be able to inform the House that he was an unmarried man. He has an uncle, an inspec- 97 tor in the force, who is an excellent officer, I am told, who will have reason to be proud of the manner in which his nephew died in the performance of his duty.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERI do not wish to follow the right hon. Gentleman through his somewhat argumentative answer as to the degree of connection between crime in Dublin and in the Provinces. I wish to ask whether it is the case that a murderous assault was made in the course of to-day upon a water bailiff?
§ MR. TREVELYANI do not know why the right hon. Gentleman speaks of my answer as argumentative. I said, and I suppose that every Member will agree with me, that there are certain characteristics which are not common between crime in the country and in Dublin. What I said I said for public reasons, and it was to inform the House that for some time past the Irish authorities have been extremely anxious about matters in that city; and, although this open manifestation has shocked them, as it must shock everybody else, it has not surprised them, and they still feel that good may come out of the terrible evil. It would be improper to say that there was no connection at all between them and the general crime of the country, for, as far as we know, there is some connection.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my Question as to the water bailiff.
§ MR. TREVELYANWe have no news whatever about it.