§ MR. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If his attention has been called to the speech of the hon. Member for North Fermanagh (Mr. W. H. K. Redmond), at the meeting of the National League, as reported in The Freeman's Journal of the 15th instant, in which he is reported to have said that the
Orangemen of Ireland" were "hirelings engaged in attacking their own churches, so as to have the fact of these outrages wired to England;859 whether he has any evidence to support the allegation of the hon. Member, that they were committed by "some Orange enemy of the Nationalist cause;" whether, on Friday, the 20th of January, there were illuminations in those parts of Fermanagh where there were branches of the National League; and whether a light was seen in Oughterdrum Church, near Castlecaldwell, by parties across Lough Erne; whether, next morning, the church door was found open, and, on the remains of a fire, the large Bible of the church half burnt, and burnt parts of the communion cloth were found among the ashes; and, if he will make further efforts to discover the perpetrators of the outrages near Castlecaldwell and at Mulloughdun?
§ MR. H. CAMPBELL (Fermanagh, S.)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the Question, I would like to ask him whether it is a fact that some years ago an outrage was committed in Castlecaldwell, and whether efforts were not made to fasten the outrage on the Catholics of the district; whether it turned out that the author of the outrage was not a Catholic, but a stranger brought into the neighbourhood by a local magnate; whether it is a fact that the perpetration of the present outrage has been charged against the Nationalists and Catholics of Fermanagh; whether there is evidence to prove the contrary of Mr. Redmond's allegation; and whether, under the circumstances, the right hon. Gentleman intends to resort to the provisions of the Coercion Act to let in light upon these mysterious matters?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: I must ask the hon. Gentleman to give Notice of his Question, as I have no knowledge whatever of the events to which he refers. In reply to the Question on the Paper, I have to say that my attention has been called to the speech referred to. The County Inspector of Constabulary reports there is no ground for the allegation contained therein. It appears that there were illuminations at Derrygonelly, where there is a branch of the National League, on Friday, the 20th of January, and on the following day at several places in Fermanagh, where there were branches of the National League. A light was seen in the direction of Oughterdrum 860 Church between 5 and 6 o'clock on Saturday morning, and later that day the outrage alluded to was found to have been perpetrated. The police are making every effort to discover the guilty persons.