MR. O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Why the Knockmagree (county Cork) meeting, to be held on April 20, was suppressed; whether it is a fact that nobody living in Knockmagree was served with personal notice of the suppression, that the proclamations were only posted through the district upon the eve of the day fixed for the meeting, and that, in consequence, thousands of persons, who received no notice of the intention of the Government, came into the village and were hustled about by the police; why was not the proclamation published earlier; and, whether care will be taken in future to notify the intention of the Government at the earliest possible moment, so as to avoid the risk of bringing large bodies of people, without warning, into dangerous proximity, and possible collision, with the armed forces of the Law?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe meeting was suppressed because it was feared that if held it would result in danger to persons who occupy farms from which the former tenants were evicted for nonpayment of rent. Copies of the Proclamation were not served upon any persons residing at Knockmagree, because it was not known that any such persons were promoters of the meeting. The Proclamation was posted at Kanturk on the previous day, which was market day, and copies were served on the promoters, who, nevertheless, attended at the place of meeting and desired to address the people. It is not the case that thousands of persons assembled. I am informed that no more than about the number of persons usually in the village on a Sunday were present (about 600), and it is not the case that any persons were hustled about by the police. The people were not in any way interfered with by the police. In the case of prohibited meetings, the authorities will endeavour, as far as possible, to give such notice as will prevent people from coming together. So far as the reports before me show, this object appears to have been secured in this case.
MR. O'BRIENCan the right hon. Gentleman state why, after attention 889 has been over and over again called to the matter, he has not given the public an earlier notice of the suppression of a meeting? To my own knowledge this meeting was called a month previously.
§ MR. TREVELYANI think the Proclamation ought to be published as soon as possible; but if it were published as soon as the meeting was announced, there is danger that some persons may advertise a great number of meetings for the purpose of having them proclaimed. ["Oh!"] That might be done, and I fear that in certain cases it would be done.
MR. O'BRIENThen the action of the Government is a trap to prevent the promoters of meetings—["Order!"]