§ MR. BERESFORDasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to a letter in The Times newspaper of the 19th instant, signed by the Rev. Harold Rylett, and headed "The Recent Proclaimed Meeting at Castlewellan, co. Down," in which the writer states that a meeting was held at Burren Bock, about one mile from Castlewellan, at which he addressed between 1,000 and 2,000 persons, in defiance of the Proclamation; and, whether the Government intend to institute proceedings against Mr. Rylett for this violation of the Law?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANArising out of that Question, I wish to ask the Chief Secretary a Question of which I have given him private Notice. It is, what steps the Government have taken to prosecute the gentlemen who a short time ago persisted in holding a so-called Nationalist meeting at Loughrea in defiance of the Lord Lieutenant's proclamation suppressing it?
§ LORD ARTHUR HILLalso asked whether the Government intended to prosecute the Rev. Harold Rylett?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe attention of the Government has been drawn to the letter in The Times of the 19th instant, but the statements contained in it are by no means borne out by the official Reports received on the subject. The Government are advised that the attempt made to address a few persons, who immediately dispersed on the approach of the Resident Magistrate and 1719 police, does not afford sufficient ground for instituting a prosecution, as suggested. Perhaps the noble Lord the M ember for County Down (Lord Arthur Hill) will accept this as an answer to the similar Question which he has on the Paper. As to the Question of the hon. and gallant Member (Colonel King-Harman), I have to say that the hon. and gallant Member did not mention, in the Notice which he gave me of this Question, the date of the circumstance to which he refers, and I do not know the grounds of his belief that such a meeting as he mentions was held. I am aware statements were published in The Freeman's Journal that a meeting was held and speeches delivered at Loughrea on the 20th of last month, in spite of a Proclamation of prohibition. But these statements were unfounded. Both the Resident Magistrate and the District Inspector of Constabulary, when I inquired into the truth of these statements, informed me that no such thing had occurred.
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANDoes the right hon. Gentleman know that the speeches delivered at the Loughrea meeting were printed at full length in The Freeman's Journal?
§ MR. TREVELYANYes, Sir; but I believe it was all humbug.