HC Deb 17 March 1887 vol 312 cc537-8
MR. LANE (Cork Co., E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the following Question, of which I have given him private Notice:—Whether he has seen the report in to-day's London papers of the proceedings at the inquest of the fisherman O'Hanlon, killed by the police at Youghal, at which Mr. Somerville, the police officer, swore there was no truth in the Chief Secretary's statement that 21 out of 22 policemen were severely injured, and that he (Mr. Somerville) had not made any such report to the authorities; and, if so, whether the Chief Secretary will state to the House from what source he received the information he conveyed to the House on Tuesday?

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

As the hon. Gentleman is aware, I made the statement in answer to a Question put to me without Notice by the hon. Member for the Scotland Division of Liverpool (Mr. T. P. O'Connor), and in making the statement I said I would not guarantee its accuracy. What I stated was that 21 out of 22 policemen were injured. What appears to be the fact is that 21 out of the 22 were hit, that 15 of them were hurt, and three of them were severely hurt.

Mr. LANE

Has the right hon. Gentleman since seen the statement, sworn to by Mr. Somerville, that there was no truth in the statement he made to the House on Tuesday night?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, so far as he could make out, the statement of District Inspector Somerville was correct.

MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)

Will the right hon. Gentleman state who first gave him his information?

[No reply.]

MR. LANE

I have given the right hon. Gentleman private Notice of the following Question:—Whether he is aware that at the inquest on O'Hanlon, now being held at Youghal, the Coroner has made frequent complaints about receiving no assistance from the police officer; whether the District Inspector refused to execute a warrant against a policeman who was committed for contempt of Court; and, whether he will telegraph orders to the police officer at Youghal to render the same assistance in this case as he would in a case in which the suspected culprit was not a member of the Constabulary?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have received no information to that effect; and, under the circumstances, I could not think of sending such a telegram.

MR. LANE

The information is in this morning's papers.