MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (Londonderry City)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in connection with the recent prosecutions under the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act at Derry, his attention has been called to an article in The Derry Journal, of June 27, which states that in July, 1886, a serious riot took place in Derry in consequence of a so-called "Loyalist" procession persisting band playing in defiance of the magistrates' Proclamation, and that, although many persons were injured, the same Police Inspector, who last week prosecuted some 16 Nationalists, did not prosecute any one; and, whether, if this be true, he will endeavour to obtain for this House some explanation of the different course pursued in these two cases?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.), in reply, said, that at the occurrences of two years ago, referred to in the Question, there was no riot, nor was there any procession. A band came on the street from a private yard. The police drove them back to the yard. A few stones were thrown; but none of the stone-throwers could be identified. None of the police were injured, and only one civilian received a blow. The concluding portion of the 68 Question was answered in the reply he had the honour to give to the hon. Member for North Donegal (Mr. O'Doherty.)
§ In reply to the LORD MAYOR of DUBLIN (Mr. Sexton) (Belfast, W.),
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid, that, as far as he understood the Report, the band were driven back into the yard. The stone-throwers were not summoned because they were not identified.