§ MR. SEXTON (Sligo, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he can communicate to the House official information respecting the origin and results of the organised attack made on Friday last on a body of workmen in Belfast?
§ MR. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers this Question, might I ask him if he could give the House any information regarding the deplorable disturbances in Belfast; whether the announcement made is true, that the disturbance occurred in consequence of a Catholic named Murphy making a statement to the effect that in future no Protestant could live in Belfast.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)My information 1142 does not enable me to do more than confirm in substance the newspaper reports of this regrettable incident, which, so far as I have seen, represent pretty accurately what actually occurred. The riots originated in a political quarrel between two navvies of different religions, in the course of which one of them was struck by the other with a spade and cut, his assailant making a remark to the effect that he "would not be allowed to earn a crust there again." The injured man reported the treatment he had received to some friends of his who work at the shipbuilding yard, and the result was that an attack was made on the navvies, ending in the infliction of several serious injuries and one death by drowning. A Coroner's inquest in this latter case and a magisterial investigation of the whole matter are at present pending. Some arrests have been made, and more will probably follow. In these circumstances, I do not think it would be right that I should express any opinion on the merits of the case.
§ MR. SEXTONI should ask the right Gentleman, whether the party who made the attack were in larger numbers than the party attacked; and, also, whether the Police Authorities apprehended any continued disturbances?
§ MR. JOHN MORLEYI am not able to state accurately the number of those attacked. I understand, however, that the assailants were in very far superior numbers to those attacked. With reference to the apprehensions of further disturbances, I have just received a telegram saying that it is not improbable that there may be further disturbances; but there is an abundant force of police and a large number of military on the spot.