§ MR. PARNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, on the day previous to the passage of the Prince of Wales through Mallow, Mr. Purdon Coote, one of the Directors of the Great Southern and Western Railway, had an interview with Lord Spencer; whether, as a consequence of this interview, any, and, if so, what, instructions were issued to the Constabulary at Mallow, and to which officer of the Constabulary, by the Irish Executive; whether the resident magistrate, Mr. Butler, in charge of the peace at Mallow on the day in question, was informed of these instructions, or their nature, by the Executive; whether Mr. Purdon Coote satisfied Lord Spencer that he had been authorised by the Board of Directors of the Great Southern and Western Railway Company to make any application or representation to the Lord Lieutenant on their behalf; whether, before the people were removed by the Constabulary, any request for such action was made to Mr. Butler, resident magistrate, by Mr. Coote, and, if not, to what official was such request made; whether County Inspector Carr ordered the Police to charge the people in the railway station without the orders and without the knowledge of Mr. Butler, resident magistrate; whether 1857 any warning was given to the people or request made to them to leave the station by any Government official before the Police drove them away; whether County Inspector Carr was intoxicated and unfit for duty to such an extent as to refuse to obey the orders of his superior officer, Mr. Butler, R.M., when Mr. Butler, on learning of the action of the Police, ordered County Inspector Carr to desist, but was refused obedience by the latter; whether the Police under County Inspector Carr, in addition to driving the people without notice from the railway station, beat them with their batons, pursued them amongst the cattle pens and on to the public roads; whether many of the people had return tickets from. Cork and other places, and were legally entitled to shelter and accommodation from the company while waiting for their trains; and, whether a sworn inquiry, conducted by persons unconnected with the Constabulary, will be instituted by the Irish Executive into the conduct of County Inspector Carr and the Constabulary, and Carr suspended from duty pending this inquiry? I also wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will give the name of the official from whom he has received the information he purposes giving to the House in regard to this affair?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANOn the morning of the 13th instant Mr. Coote, a Director of the Railway Company, who had been deputed by the Company to represent them, had an interview with his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant. Instructions were sent to the Resident Magistrate and County Inspector of Constabulary to the effect that if the hon. Member for Mallow (Mr. O'Brien), who had publicly announced his intention to be present at Mallow Railway Station for the purpose of giving expression to his sentiments, wished to make any representation to the Prince of Wales he should be allowed to come to the platform with a few of his friends and communicate with His Royal Highness through the proper channel. Nothing, however, in the nature of a riotous disturbance was to be permitted. An intimation to this effect was made to the hon. Member, who, however, did not avail himself of the opportunity so given to him. It had been pre-arranged between Mr. 1858 Butler, Resident Magistrate, Mr. Coote, and Mr. Carr, the County Inspector, that on the departure of the Kerry train at 4 o'clock the platforms should be cleared of their occupants for the purpose of making preparations for the reception of the Royal Party. A number of persons, led by the hon. Members for Cork and Tipperary (Mr. Deasy and Mr. John O'Connor), had in the meantime arrived from Cork accompanied by bands, and taken up a position in the station. On the application of Mr. Coote to Mr. Carr a party of police were told off to clear the platforms. The party so detailed advanced and directed the people to leave the station. The greater proportion complied. Some, however, refused to do so, and these were removed. Mr. Carr positively denies that there is any ground whatever—and I do not know what authority the hon. Member can have—for the assertion that he was intoxicated, nor did he refuse to obey any orders of Mr. Butler. Some of the people who were on the arrival platform, when requested to leave, dispersed over the adjoining lines. The police had thus to follow them for the purpose of removing them from the Company's premises, and some had to be followed into cattle-pens for this purpose. In the very few individual cases where resistance was offered the police had recourse to their batons, using no more force than was necessary to overcome the resistance. I do not know whether any of these people had return tickets to Cork; but I am advised that the Railway Company, whose Director (Mr. Coote) had charge of the station, had a perfect right to make what arrangements they thought fit for admitting persons to the platform and keeping the station clear; and, in my opinion, they would have incurred great responsibility if they had not made such arrangements as they did. I see no cause whatever for a sworn inquiry. The information I have now received comes from the different Resident Magistrates, from Mr. Butler especially, and from County Inspector Carr.
§ MR. PARNELLI wish to direct the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to the fact that he has not specifically answered certain portions of my Question. I asked him whether Mr. Coote satisfied Lord Spencer that he was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Great 1859 Southern and Western Railway Company to make any application or representation to the Lord Lieutenant on their behalf. The right hon. Gentleman says that Mr. Coote was acting on behalf of the Company; but he has not replied to the part of the Question in which I specifically asked whether Mr. Coote satisfied the authorities that he had the authority of the Board of Directors before his action? I also asked him whether any request for action was made by Mr. Coote to Mr. Butler, the Resident magistrate; and, if not, by what official was that request made; and whether County Inspector Carr ordered the police to charge the people at the railway station without the orders or the knowledge of Mr. Butler? The right hon. Gentleman has asked me what authority I had for the allegations in the Question as to the condition of Inspector Carr. I wish to say that I made that statement with great reluctance, and that I made it on the authority of my two Colleagues.
§ MR. PARNELLI made the statement on the authority of the junior Member for Cork and the hon. Member for Mallow, who informed me that if the inquiry be given which they demand they will be in a position to prove this and other statements that have been made.
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI will endeavour to answer the hon. Member's Question. Mr. Coote came to the Lord Lieutenant on the part of the Railway Company. I do not presume that the Lord Lieutenant demanded his credentials, or to see any written delegation on the part of the Directors; but I have no doubt that Mr. Coote did act on the part of the Directors of the Railway Company. Then the hon. Member asks me whether Mr. Coote made his request to Mr. Butler, or to whom he made it? I have said in my answer that he made it to County Inspector Carr; but it was in accordance with the pre-arrangement to which I have alluded, and to which the parties were Mr. Butler, Mr. Coote, and Mr. Carr. Then the hon. Member asks me another Question—whether Mr. Butler gave direct orders?
§ MR. PARNELLHad any knowledge of the action of the police.
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANHe had knowledge of what the police 1860 were about to do, and he explains in his Report that one part of the proceedings took place on a platform which was separated from where he was by a train, and therefore he was not a positive eyewitness of what occurred in that particular part of the station. Otherwise he expresses no disapproval of anything that took place.
§ MR. DEASYI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman who it was gave notice to the people on the central platform from which they were about to be ejected that if they did not leave peacefully they would be brutally batoned by the police? I ask the Question because the statement which has been furnished to the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely false.
§ MR. M'COANI wish to ask whether the Messrs. O'Brien, Harrington, O'Connor, and Deasy, who are reported by the newspapers to be the leaders of these riotous and disloyal demonstrations at Mallow, Cork, and elsewhere, are identical with the persons of the same name who have sworn allegiance to the Queen, Her heirs, and successors, at the Table of this House?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman has answered the Question in great detail, and I think that any further Question is unnecessary.
§ MR. SPEAKERWill the hon. Member state the point of Order?
§ MR. HEALYI wish to ask you, Sir, whether it is admissible for an hon. Gentleman, under cover of a Question, to make a gross insinuation of perjury against a series of Members of this House? I wish to ask whether you, Sir, as Speaker of this House, will allow an imputation of that kind to be cast upon Members of this House?
§ MR. SPEAKERAny imputation of that kind cast upon an hon. Member of this House would, in my opinion, be out of Order; and if the hon. Member had desired to put the Question on the Paper I would certainly have revised it.