§ MR. LEWISasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that, during and after the Nationalist procession on St. Patrick's Day passing over the walls of Derry City, shots were fired by some of the processionists, on two different occasions in the day, in the direction of foot passengers, who on the second occasion consisted of little children; whether the name of a person alleged to be one of the offenders was communicated to the police many days since; and, whether any steps have been or will be taken for the prosecution of the alleged offender?
MR. O'BRIENBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers I would ask the Chief Secretary if the newspaper organ of the hon. Member for Derry, The Londonderry Sentinel, on whose statement his Question is founded, is not the same paper condemed in this House by the ex-Chief Secretary (Mr. Trevelyan) for a gross attack on Mr. Justice Murphy, who sentenced the Apprentice Boy 1086 Doherty to eighteen months' imprisonment with hard labour for shooting and wounding with a revolver on the occasion of Lord Mayor Dawson's visit; whether The Londonderry Standard, the recognized Government organ in Derry, edited by a distinguished Presbyterian Professor, member of the Royal University Senate, has put on record of St. Patrick's Day celebration in Derry the following criticism, namely:—
It is well known that we do not approve of Party processions in any form, owing to the unkindly feelings that they tend to excite in the general community. But if such things are to be, it is only right to express the almost universal feeling that nothing of the kind could have been better conducted than that which traversed the city and passed along the Walls on Tuesday last. That a procession consisting of from ten to twenty thousand men, with bands and flags and symbols, could pass along the street at a time when public feeling is so easily excited, without giving offence or taking offence, is eminently creditable to all who took part in it.
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have no knowledge of what appeared in the Londonderry newspapers, and I have as little knowledge of the source from which the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Lewis) derives his information. With regard to the Question of the hon. Member, I have to say that the Constabulary were informed that a man had fired off his revolver in the street at a time when there were children there; but it was not stated that the children were fired at. The witness declined to swear an information; but the police have summoned the man who is alleged to have fired, and they have also summoned the informant as a witness.