§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the information before, and the evidence at, the trial of Hannah O'Donnell, at Lifford Assizes, for alleged forcible entry, and the information in several similar cases, disclose the fact that the police entered the houses of the defendants, interrogated the inmates, asked them to quit, and that, for over a month, they had been watching the houses from, which these defendants had been evicted; whether the houses were for most of that time lying open; whether any bailiff or other person, on behalf of the landlord, was in possession, or watching the houses; whether anything was done 1327 from the day of the eviction by the landlord to secure the possession; whether the houses were built by the tenants; whether their time for redemption, after eviction, had expired; whether the police receive any remuneration for their services from the landlord in such cases; whether Sergeant Mahony was directed by the Lord Chief Baron to say if he had a Circular of Instructions for doing as above, and whether he claimed privilege for not producing it through claiming that he acted under a Circular issued several years before; and, whether he will call for further explanations as to this ease?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)Answers to these several details as to alleged matters of fact cannot be given without reference to the locality, for which the hon. Member has allowed no opportunity.
§ MR. O'DOHERTYIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Question appeared substantially in another form nearly a week ago?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Question appeared in so substantially another form that no part of it resembled the Question now on the Paper. I did answer, as a matter of fact, the former Question.