§ MR. JOHN O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, "Whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Land Commissioners Court abandoned its sittings at Nenagh on the 19th February, on the ground that a public meeting was to be held in the neighbourhood of the court-house, and has not since returned to the town or appointed a day for the hearing of more than twenty appeals which their departure interrupted; whether he has observed that Mr. Justice O'Hagan declared—
For myself I should, in view of the great public inconvenience that will be caused, have preferred to adjourn only during the time of the meeting taking place. However, my colleagues are of the other opinion, and consequently after to-day the hearing of the remaining appeals on the list must be adjourned sine die;whether he is aware that Mr. George Posnett, official, held an inquiry under the Labourers' Act in the court-house upon the day of the meeting, and expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements for the inquiry; and, what steps will be taken to protect litigants from the expense and inconvenience entailed by the action of the Land Commissioners?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe Land Commissioners found, on going to their Court at Nenagh on the 18th instant, that preparations were being made to hold a political meeting in close proximity to the Court. They at once communicated with the authorities of the town, pointing out the inconvenience that must arise to suitors and witnesses, as well as to the Commission itself, if the meeting were held in the place proposed, and suggesting that it should be held in some other part of the town; but the reply was that this could not be done, and it was suggested that the Commissioners should 1600 adjourn their Court for an hour or two while the meeting was going on, or, if they thought fit, for the day. The Commissioners declined to adopt this suggestion, and, for reasons which they publicly stated, adjourned the Court sine die, Mr. Justice O'Hagan stating that while he concurred with his colleagues as to the impropriety of a public meeting being held in the close neighbourhood of the Court, he thought that, under whatever circumstances, they should endeavour to hear and decide the cases in the list. I regret if any inconvenience or expense has ensued to litigants; but the responsibility lies with those who, by calling a public meeting, for which a platform was erected immediately in front of the Court House, and close to the railings, interrupted a sitting of the Court, which had been publicly announced so far back as the 11th of December Inst. I am informed that Mr. Posnett did hold an inquiry at Nenagh on that day; but he is absent from Dublin at present, and I have not been able to ascertain at what time he held his inquiry, or whether he expressed himself as satisfied with the arrangements.
§ MR. HEALYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Home Secretary in this House completely justifies the holding of a meeting in the vicinity of the High Court of Parliament, although it inconvenienced 200 or 300 Members who were coming to the House?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI am not aware that there was any meeting held close to, or under the windows of, the House of Commons in such a way as to interrupt its proceedings.
§ MR. JOHN O'CONNORIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there was no other place available for the holding of the meeting except the place in front of the Court House; and that if they erected a platform in any other part of the town the promoters of the meeting would be liable to be prosecuted by the County Surveyor?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have already said that it was stated that there was no other place available; but there was an element behind that, and the promoters ought to have provided for the holding of a meeting some other day than the day on which the sitting of a Judicial Court had been announced.