§ MR. H. CAMPBELL (Fermanagh, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Is it the fact that, on the evening of the declaration of the poll in South Fermanagh, a man of the name of John M'Manus was savagely assaulted opposite his own door; whether this attack was made by three Orangemen; if M'Manus was, in consequence of his injuries, confined to bed for three weeks, and attended by a doctor; were the men brought before the Petty Sessions Court, Lisnaskea, on 9th January; was the case against two of them dismissed; is it true that in the case of the third the resident and two magistrates were in favour of returning the accused for trial, while three other magistrates were for dismissal; are these three magistrates members of the Orange Society; did the district inspector of police state in Court that this case would be brought forward again; if so, why has nothing been heard of it at either of the two last sittings of the Court; and, if he can state what action it is proposed to take in this case?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne), in reply, said, this affair was on December 5 last. Only one of three alleged assailants was known to have been an Orangeman. The other facts were as stated in the Question, the Bench being equally divided in respect to the case against the man. Owing to what appeared to be a misconception on the part of the District Inspector, the case against the other two men was not brought forward at the next Petty Sessions; but he was informed it was now under consideration by the Divisional Magistrates.