§ THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether during the course of the evictions on the Vandeleur estate in Clare, on Thursday last, Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., Mr. Arthur Patton, of the "Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union," and a reporter of The Times, were allowed to remain within the cordon formed by the troops and police, whilst all the other representatives of the Press, together with the local clergy and Members of Parliament, were kept beyond the cordon and prevented from observing the proceedings; whether Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., was allowed, whilst within the cordon, to cross-examine evicted tenants who were in custody of the police; whether Mr. Jordan, M.P., was assaulted and driven back by the police for having contradicted a statement made by Mr. Arthur Patton; and, whether the local clergy had exerted themselves to promote a settlement and preserve the peace?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The Divisional Magistrate reports that it is the case that the hon. Member for South Tyrone (Mr. T. W. Russell), as also Mr. Arthur Patton and The Times correspondent, were given passes by him to admit them inside the cordon formed by the troops during the eviction, but that it is not the case that the other Press representatives were excluded; all of them who asked for passes were given them. The tenants' counsel and solicitor were also admitted. The hon. Member for South Galway (Mr. Sheehy) was not admitted, as he had incited the tenants to resistance. But the hon. Member for West Clare (Mr. Jordan) was at once given a pass by the Divisional Magistrate upon hearing that he had been put outside the 199 cordon as not possessing one; he was not assaulted in any way, so far as the Divisional Magistrate is aware. The hon. Member for South Tyrone, and anyone else who liked, was allowed freely to converse with the tenants. The local priests, who, according to their own statements, are responsible for the combination under the Plan of Campaign on the estate, have been excluded, because they incite the people to resist, and have utterly thwarted any reasonable settlement. In no case do they appear to have used their undoubted influence to preserve the peace; but, on the other hand, some of them were seen to enter the church and set the bell tolling to assemble the people, notwithstanding the Proclamation that had been issued.
§ MR. SEXTONasked, whether the Press representatives were all informed that the passes might be obtained by them?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid, on that point he had no information.