§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If be can give any information as to the nature of the proceedings detailed in the following paragraph, extracted from The Lisburn Standard of 23rd February—
Lisburn Star of the West, No. 17, Royal Black Encampment, Knights of Malta, held their usual monthly meeting in the Orange Hall, Railway Street, on Tuesday evening, February 19th, 1884. Sir Knight and Brother Richard Belshaw, jun., presided in the absence of the commander; Sir Knight and Bro. Francis Crowe, generalissimo, in the vice-chair. The encampment was opened in form by prayer and reading a portion of Scripture, the minutes of previous meeting read and confirmed, roll of members called, when three candidates were proposed for next night, after which nine Sir Knights volunteered to take out the warrant of Olive Branch, No. 13, Knights of Malta, granted; resolved, that the Sir Knights of No. 17, Royal Black Encampment, meet in Mrs. Pelan' s, Bridge Street, on Tuesday evening, February 26th, at 7 p.m. sharp, for the purpose of going to the country to start the Olive Branch;whether he can inform the House of the functions and powers of the "generalissimo" and "commander" in question; and, whether he is aware of the object of the expedition undertaken on Tuesday last, when the Sir Knights of No. 17, Royal Black Encampment, assembled at 7 p.m. "to go into the country and start the Olive Branch?"
§ MR. TREVELYAN,in reply, said, that, so far as he had been able to ascertain, the functions of a "generalissimo" were analogous to these of a chairman of a meeting. The object of the expedition, he supposed, was the establishment of a branch lodge, the name of which, he hoped and trusted, might be taken as an indication of the peaceful intentions of its promoters. [Mr. GIBSON: Hear, hear!]