MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (for Mr. O'KELLY)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that Mr. Macartney Porter, J.P. Clogher, is brother to the District Master of the Orange Lodge of the district, and that one of the men (William Mills), accused of waylaying and assaulting Mr. Hynes, is in the employment of Mr. Porter, J.P.; whether the statement made by the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant in reference to the assaults committed on Messrs. Hynes and Mackey at Clogher and Killy-faddy are based on information supplied by the police and magistrates, whose failure to protect the Catholic inhabitants of the district is the matter of complaint; whether he adheres to the statement that the waylaying and assault of Mr. Hynes in Clogher is not "serious;" and, whether, in view of the distrust felt by the Catholics of the Clogher district in the impartiality of the local magistrates, the Irish Government will send Resident Magistrates to try the cases, which are set down for hearing on the 9th instant at Clogher?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI am not aware whether the statement in the first paragraph is correct or not, nor do I know that I am called upon to inquire. It has been reported to me by the police that the magistrates did not consider the case of assault sufficiently serious to take up. The man referred to was himself summoned for waylaying and assault. It was open to him to take proceedings against his alleged assailants. I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the information supplied to me. At the same time, I have asked the Attorney General for Ireland to give special consideration to the reports as to any of the cases pending, in view of seeing if they disclose any reason why any of them should be heard at Petty Sessions under the Prevention of Crime Act.