HC Deb 13 June 1887 vol 315 cc1731-2
MR. CONYBEAEE (Cornwall, Camborne)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the descriptions in The Pall Mall Gazette of the evictions at Bodyke, and in particular to the statement that one of the bailiffs more than once threw his crowbar through an opening made in the walls of the houses, regardless of the fact that there were women and children inside; whether these men are men of respectable character; or, if not, whether they are in any, and how many, cases convicts or ex-convicts who have been in prison for various crimes; whether these men are employed by the Sheriffs or by the landlords' agents; and, whether, in any case, he will order that they shall he kept under more effective control?

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)

(who replied) said: There was no such occurrence as a bailiff throwing a crowbar through an opening in the walls. A crowbar, on one occasion slipped from a bailiff's hand and entered the house through an aperture in the wall. This was purely accidental, and did not occur a second time. Of the 11 men employed nine are strangers, whom the police believe to be respectable men, and the other two are of the usual class of Sheriff's bailiffs, and have never been convicted of any serious offence. All these men were employed by the Sheriff. The local Constabulary officer reports that the statements in The Pall Mall Gazette about these evictions are highly coloured, quite inaccurate, and, in some cases, utterly untrue.

MR. CONYBEARE

asked, whether the right hon. and gallant Gentleman would give an assurance that only men who were competent to wield a crowbar should be employed in future?

MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

Is the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that one of the bailiffs engaged in these evictions is a bailiff named Woods, who was ordered to be prosecuted fur perjury by Chief Baron Palles at the late Sligo trials, and on that occasion was censured by the Judge for his conduct at the Woodford evictions?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

I am sorry to say I have no information on the subject.

MR. DILLON

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman inquire?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

If the hon. Gentleman puts a Question on the Paper I will.

MR. W. REDMOND (Fermanagh, N.)

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman state to the House from whom he received the statement just read out?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

From the officer in charge of the Constabulary.