HC Deb 07 June 1887 vol 315 cc1221-2
MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieu- tenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the attempted suppression of the meeting, convened under the auspices of the Irish Protestant Home Rule Association, at Kilkeel, County Down, on the 25th May last; whether he is aware on what day the placards announcing this meeting were first posted in and about Kilkeel; on what date the placard summoning the opposition meeting first appeared; whether the meeting was proclaimed at the instigation of the local landlords; if the magistrates who signed the proclamation were the local landlord, Lord Kilmorey, and his land agent, Mr. John Quinn Henry; whether it is in accordance with practice for a landlord and his agent to act together as Justices in the same case; and, whether he will state the name of the informant, and supply a copy of the information referred to in this proclamation, and give the name of the magistrate before whom same was sworn?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

I have not received even now such full information on the subject as I should have wished; but, from the telegrams submitted to me, I gather that the meeting was not announced by placard. The meeting was prohibited by the magistrates named, at whose instance, or upon whose information, I cannot say, the magistrates having acted independently of the Government, and on their own responsibility entirely. I believe it is not usual for landlords and their agents to act together as Justices in the same cases. I am unable to give the information asked for in the last paragraph of the Question; but I intend to make further inquiries.

MR. M'CARTAN

asked, was the Chief Secretary aware of the fact that the magistrates who signed the proclamation were Lord Kilmorey and his agent?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Yes; I am aware that such is the case.

MR. M'CARTAN

And that Lord Kilmorey came over from England to prevent a meeting of his Nationalist tenants; and, whether, under the circumstances, the Government will order a prosecution of Lord Kilmorey and his agent for having criminally conspired for preventing these people from doing what they had a legal right to do.

[No reply.]