§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention had been called to the following extract from the charge of Baron Dowse, published in the Freeman's Journal of the 12th March—
I am also informed by the proper authorities, who can speak with confidence on these matters, that the crime of boycotting has decreased of late; that whereas there were some years ago several hundreds of persons in the county boycotted, the number is very considerably decreased, and in the month of January of this present year the agrarian outrages in Kerry only amounted to five in number, as compared with a very considerable number in former years. Well, now, I am very glad to be able to say that there is a decrease in the number of boycotting offences. The number of persons boycotted in February 1888 was 131, and now the number is only 33.Whether he was aware that similar statements regarding the decrease of crime have been made by the Judges in every county in Ireland; and if it would be possible to lay the charges of the Judges at the Spring Assizes upon the Table of the House?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURMy attention has been called to the learned Judge's address at the late Spring Assizes with regard to the large decrease in boycotting and agrarian crime in the county Kerry. It is likewise the case that in other counties in Ireland, where the Judges at the late Assizes have commented on crime, they have also been able to congratulate the people in regard to its decrease among them. The course suggested in the last paragraph would, if feasible, doubtless afford some interesting information and light with respect to the considerably improved state of affairs throughout Ireland; but, inasmuch as there is no official record of the addresses of Judges of Assize, it has been the practice not to lay them upon the Table of this House.