MR. O'BRIEN (for Mr. HARRINGTON)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to a Report of the meeting of the Tralee Board of Guardians on the 21st October, at which an evicted tenant, who sought admission to the Union, made the following statement, which was duly witnessed:—
I, Thomas M'Enery, of Ashill, in this county, do hereby state that after the murder of Patrick Cahill I went to Ballyseedy House to settle about my rent, when I was told by Mr. Bennett, steward of the Ballyseedy Estate, that I knew about the killing of the man Patrick Cahill, and that I could get no hearing. This he repeated some time afterwards After this, and on several occasions, Sergeant Galligan went to 779 my house and met me, and said to my wife and myself that if we both took the money and told who killed Patrick Cahill we would be happy people, and could easily pay our rent. On Tuesday, the 2nd, I was evicted from my holding, and afterwards Sergeant Galligan told my wife, in my own hearing, that she was a foolish woman that did not take the money, and that if she would do it it would be easy for her to pay the rent. He repeated the same statement on more than one occasion. M'Carthy, the bailiff to the Ballyseedy Estate, stated that I would be reinstated if I or my wife told who killed Cahill. I have now to state publicly that either I nor my wife know nothing about the murder of this man, and that we are persecuted by those people trying to make us swear something;whether he is aware that the Board directed this statement to be brought under the notice of Parliament; and, whether he will institute inquiry into the conduct of the constable?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANStatements to the effect quoted in the Question having appeared in the public Press some 10 days ago, inquiries were at once instituted, with the result that the allegations are believed to be wholly untrue. Both Mr. Bennett and Sergeant Galligan emphatically deny the allegations affecting them.