§ DR. TANNER(for Mr. REYNOLDS) (Tyrone, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that, on Saturday evening the 22nd of May, about eight o'clock, an armed mob of Orangemen marched from Tullyhogue to Stewartstown, and proceeding to the Catholic Chapel, where a mission was being conducted by the Passionist Fathers, commenced playing party tunes, shouting "To—with the Pope," and throwing stones at the congregation; whether it is a fact that several women and children were seriously injured; whether, in consequence, a riot took place between the Catholics and the Orangemen; whether Mr. Robert Wood requested Messieurs Hunt and Chambre, the other magistrates present, to give instructions to the police to disarm and disperse the Orangemen, but they refused; whether it is a fact that Sergeant Price, of the Police Force, received information early in the afternoon of the expedition, but neglected to communicate it to Mr. Wood, who lives within three minutes' walk of the Police Barrack, or to procure an adequate force for the protection of the Catholic population; and, whether, in consequence of complaints against the said Sergeant Price in former cases of disturbance, an order was made for his removal from the district, and why such order has not been carried out?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. STANSFELD) (Halifax)(who replied) said: The information in the possession of the Irish 256 Government does not bear out all the allegations in this Question; but, as a number of prosecutions arising out of the occurrence are now pending, it is better not to enter into particulars at the present time. The hon. Member has privately asked to have the matter inquired into by the Resident Magistrate of the district; but, as that gentleman will probably take part in the adjudication of the case, the Irish Government consider that he should not be asked to prejudice himself by an ex parte inquiry beforehand. The order for transfer of Sergeant Price was not due to complaints against him in former cases of disturbance, and he was retained in consequence of strong representations of the value of his services to the locality.