§ MR. COX(for Mr. O'KELLY) (Roscommon, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether a force of Constabulary, under the command of Inspector Walsh, of Stokestown, attended at the eviction of Mrs. Conlon, in the townland of Cloonsrun, near Stokestown, county Roscommon, on the 10th of February; whether, on the refusal of Mrs. Conlon and their daughter to leave their house, Inspector Walsh ordered some of his men to remove them by force; whether Miss Conlon was dragged into the road by force; whether one of the sergeants dragged her by the hair of the head, and threw her on the ground, and knelt on her chest; whether the Constabulary and bailiffs then carried out Mrs. Conlon, who was sick and bedridden, and left her on the roadside; whether Mrs. Conlon had paid her rent to Captain Norton, the landlord, up to 1st May 1886 for the holding from which she was evicted illegally; whether the deeree of eviction on which the police acted referred to a second small holding held by Mrs. Conlon; and, whether he will order an investigation into the alleged conduct of Inspector Walsh and the Constabulary on the occasion in question?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.)The police were present at this eviction, and were obliged to remove Mrs. Conlon from the house, as she became very violent and attempted to assault the bailiff with a pair of tongs; but no such violence was used as is stated in the fourth paragraph of the Question. Mrs. Conlon, who was in bed but fully dressed in her usual day clothing, declined to leave, and was removed very carefully by the Sheriff's bailiff and the representative of the landlord, the police in no wise assisting. She and her daughter were immediately re-admitted as caretakers. I have no knowledge as to what payments may have been made by Mrs. Conlon. The writ executed was for three and a-half years' rent. There does not appear to have been anything in the action of the police calling for investigation.
§ MR. COXWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Government have taken any action in reference to the conduct of the Sheriff in this case in evicting Mrs. Conlon out of a holding in regard to which he held no writ?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHI have already informed the hon. Gentleman that it is not a case for the interference of the Government. If Mrs, Conlon was illegally evicted, she has her remedy at law.