HC Deb 02 July 1888 vol 328 cc61-2
MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork) (for Mr. PARNELL) (Cork City)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is the fact that at a trades demonstration held in Cork on June 24, in reference to a purely trades dispute, the police insisted on having a Government note-taker present, and for that purpose forced their way with mounted and ordinary police through a perfectly peaceable and orderly meeting, disregarding the protests of the Mayor of the City; what reason there was to suppose that the peace would be broken, or a breach of the law committed, at the meeting in question; and, whether there is any precedent for the sending of a Government reporter to a meeting in reference to a trade dispute?

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

The Inspector General of Constabulary reports that it is the case a Constabulary shorthand-writer was present at the trade demonstration held in Cork, as it was generally expected that very violent speeches would be made in favour of Boycotting; but that it is not true that the police, for the purpose of insisting on his presence, forced their way through the meeting, nor, as a matter of fact, did they force their way through the meeting at all. A large crowd had been brought together, and it was considered necessary by those responsible for the preservation of the peace to have the police present. The reply to the concluding paragraph is in the affirmative.

MR. MAURICE HEALY

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what the case is?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I believe it was a meeting at Belleek on April 17.

MR. MAURICE HEALY

asked the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there was any precedent for having Government reporters or the police at trade meetings in reference to trade disputes held in England or Scotland?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHRWS) (Birmingham, E.)

asked for Notice of the Question.

MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

asked, what reason the Local Court had for believing that violent speeches would be made at that meeting?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, they had grounds which satisfied them that such was the case; and he might remind the House that in Ireland it unfortunately happened that criminal speeches were sometimes made at trade meetings, while in England that never was the case.

MR. MAURICE HEALY

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether the majority of the parties concerned in that trade dispute were Protestants and Conservatives?

[No reply.]