§ SIR THOMAS BATESONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he would state the number of extra Police drafted into Belfast for the recent visit of his Excellency to that town; whether their services were required beyond their mere routine duties; whether the conduct of the people on that occasion was unexceptionable; what has been the total extra cost incurred in connection with the movement of such force; and, further, to inquire from what source such extra expenditure is to be defrayed?
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers the Question of the hon. Baronet, I would like to ask him whether the demonstrations were not, to a great extent, demonstrations of armed men, such as at the- meeting at Dromore, where sackfuls of re- 1664 volvers were left behind; whether at the Orange meetings there were not bodies of armed men, some of whom were prepared to make murderous attacks upon the Nationalists? I would also like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the gentlemen who were received recently as a deputation on the occasion of His Excellency's visit to Belfast were members of the organization which prepared for these counter-demonstrations; and whether His Excellency has over, on any occasion, received a body who represented armed demonstrations, calculated to lead to a breach of the peace?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, there wore bodies of armed men at the Dromore and other meetings; as regards the rest of the Question, I am not prepared to answer. In answer to the hon. Baronet, I may say that the number of extra police drafted into Belfast on the occasion in question was 10 officers and 400 men. Their services were required, as the ordinary routine duties had to be performed by the town force as usual, and the extra men were employed to assist them, and to keep order at places visited by their Excellencies, and along the routes taken by them. The conduct of the people was unexceptionable. the total cost incurred in connection with the movement of such force was about £500, which will be defrayed from the Constabulary Vote.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORI asked the right hon. Gentleman whether His Excellency received a deputation, and whether the members of it did not belong to the same Orange Society which was declared by himself to be the organization which prepared these counter-demonstrations?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe hon. Gentleman asks me several Questions on this subject. There undoubtedly have been Orangemen who prepared these counter-demonstrations; but it does not follow that all men followed the example of those of the rank and file who came armed.
§ MR. HEALYI would like to ask the right hon. Gentleman were there any extra police drafted into Belfast on the occasion of the visit of the right hon. Member for North Devon (Sir Stafford Northcote)?
§ [No reply.]