HC Deb 19 February 1884 vol 284 cc1339-41
MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the Government are aware that the following gentlemen used the following language at the following places and on the following dates:—Captain Barton (at Rosslea, Oct. 16, 1883)— He only wished the Orangemen were allowed, and they would soon drive the rebels like MR. Parnell and his followers out of sight. MR. Murray Ker, D.L. (Monaghan, Dec. 7, 1883)— His advice to them about revolvers was—never use a revolver unless they were firing at someone. Lord Claud Hamilton, M.P. (Derry, Dec. 18, 1883)— We have made up our minds that if the Government fail to prevent MR. Parnell and Co. making inroads into Ulster…. if they do not prevent those hordes of ruffians from invading us, we will take the Law into our own hands, and we ourselves will. Colonel King-Harman, J.P., M.P. (Rathmines, Jan. 10, 1884)— Keep the cartridge in the rifle. MR. Archdale, J.P., M.P. (Dromore, Jan. 1, 1884)— Keep a firm grip of your sticks. And, whether the Government have finally resolved to institute no prosecution against any of the speakers for speeches so described? Perhaps I may be allowed to say that these are amongst the Orangemen whom I alluded to yesterday as inciting to "murderous outrages."

MR. ARCHDALE

I beg to say I made no speech at the meeting at Dromore. The words attributed to me were spoken by Captain Archdale, and what he said was—" Let the people have a firm grip of their sticks, to keep them quiet."

VISCOUNT CRICHTON

In reference to what has fallen from my hon. Friend and Colleague, might I ask, has the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary made any communication to the other gentlemen mentioned in the Question, with the view of ascertaining whether they really made the speeches attributed to them?

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

Do they deny them?

MR. TREVELYAN

The hon. Member furnished me with the extracts to which he alluded yesterday, and I have referred them to Dublin for the consideration of the Executive there. I think it will be very much better to have the inquiry conducted there. It will be an inquiry of an extremely superficial nature to ascertain the fact mentioned by the hon. Member for Fermanagh. As to communicating with the gentlemen themselves, that will come at a later stage of the proceedings.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

Am I to understand that, so far as the right hon. Gentleman knows, the attention of Dublin Castle had been directed to those speeches for the first time when a Question had been put in this House and referred to the Lord Lieutenant?

MR. TREVELYAN

When a Question is put in this House the attention of Dublin Castle is, of course, directed to that Question. I think that is a sufficient answer. Obviously, the attention of Dublin Castle was not directed to these speeches for the first time when he put his Question.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if now, for the first time to his knowledge, the authorities in Dublin Castle have had their attention called to a speech delivered on October 16, 1883?

MR. TREVELYAN

The authorities in Dublin Castle have kept their eye on all that has been passing in Ireland. This was not the first occasion on which we observed these speeches.

MR. HEALY

When the right hon. Gentleman decided to prosecute me in consequence of a Question asked by the hon. Baronet behind me, was his attention first directed to my speech by the Question of the hon. Baronet?

[No reply was given.]