§ MR. LANE (Cork, Co., E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant 728 of Ireland, Whether the following statements, which appeared in The Times of last Friday, are true:—That a determined effort was made on the previous night to burn the house of Inspector Kerin at Youghal; that the crowd broke the windows of the Protestant Schools and the Methodist Church at Youghal; that children of 12 to 14 years of ago were found drunk in the doorways, early on Thursday morning, in the streets of Youghal; and, whether any official Report, in reference to the above alleged outrages, was made by the local police officer to the authorities at Dublin Castle previous to this Question appearing on the Notice Paper?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The foundation for this report appears to be that on the night of the 7th instant a lighted tar barrel was thrown against the hall door of the District Inspector's house, and that some glass was broken in the windows of the Protestant Schools and of the Methodist Church. The police do not know of any children having been intoxicated.
§ MR. LANEasked, was the right hon. Gentleman aware that the throwing of this lighted tar barrel into the doorway of the Inspector's house had been represented as a determined effort to burn the house down?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not see it is part of my function to ascertain the accuracy of reports in newspapers. I have informed the hon. Member of the facts, and he may put what construction he pleases on them.
§ MR. LANEI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether he is aware that it has been sworn by responsible officers in Youghal that there was not a scintilla of foundation for these reports in The Times?
§ [No reply.]