§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (for Mr. SEXTON)asked the Chief (Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has examined, during the Recess, the recent official Returns of exceptional crime in Ireland, and whether he has observed that, in the month of February, there were fifteen Irish counties from which no crime was reported, eight from which only one crime was reported, five from which only two crimes were reported, and but four counties from which crimes exceeding two in number were reported; whilst in the whole month, from all Ireland, there was reported but one offence against the person, an assault; whether, in the month of March, there were five counties from which no crime was reported, ten counties from which only one crime was reported, eight counties from which only two crimes were reported, and but nine counties from which more than two crimes were reported; whilst in the whole month, from all Ireland, there were reported but two offences against the person, namely, assaults, and no more serious crime; whether this general freedom from grave criminality has continued through the month of April; and, whether, in view of three continuous months of such experience, the Irish Government will now 572 proceed to relieve the people from the burden of the cost of extra police; and, to ask this question particularly with regard to the county of Sligo, where, in the month of February, no offence of any kind was reported, and, in the month of March, no offence against the person or against property?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the hon. Member for Longford is not quite accurate in his quotations of figures. There are one or two important discrepancies between his estimate of the case and that shown in the official Returns. The hon. Member has correctly stated, however, that the Returns up to last month showed a very gratifying diminution of agrarian crime. The Government is very anxious not to continue the presence of additional police under the Prevention of Crime Act any longer than may be necessary for the preservation of the peace. The matter is constantly kept in view; and, up to this time, 26 proclamations have been revoked, 10 of which have been revoked quite recently, out of a total of 70. Moreover, during the Recess special inquiries have been made by Circular, with a view of enabling the authorities to find out whether further proclamations may be withdrawn. In considering this matter, it is necessary to remember that the actual cessation of outrage, as recorded in the Returns, is not always conclusive proof that a district is in a satisfactory state. In many places" Boycotting" still I prevails, and persons whose lives are threatened are under police protection, so that there is reasonable apprehension of further outrage should the police be withdrawn. These circumstances do not appear in the outrage Returns. In the case of the county of Sligo, to which the hon. Member specially referred, two districts only were proclaimed under the Prevention of Crime Act as requiring additional police, and one of those, which was issued in August last, will be withdrawn at once, the proclamation having been revoked that day. In the other, the proclamation was issued in January last, in consequence of the commission of serious offences—firing at a constable and house attacks—and the apprehension of further outrage of the same kind, owing to the existence of secret societies. In this district it has not been deemed prudent, as yet, to remove the additional police.
§ MR. TREVELYAN,in reply, said, the official name of the district was Ardglyn, and the district in which the proclamation remained in force was Ballyglass.