§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Solicitor General for Ireland whether a National League Convention was held at Drogheda on 1714 Thursday, the 21st March, at which the Mayor presided, and the letting of evicted farms on the Massereene estate was denounced; whether, immediately following the holding of this meeting, a valuable corn mill on the property of Mrs. M'Givney was burned to the ground; whether Mrs. M'Givney is a Roman Catholic tenant on the Massereene estate who refused to join the Plan of Campaign; and whether the police have any information to show the fire to have been malicious?
§ MR. GILLBefore the hon. and learned Gentleman answers the question, I have to ask him whether there is any connection between the burning and the organization of the tenants; whether, when the suggestion was first made, it was not indignantly contradicted by the Conservative organ in Drogheda as a miserable slander upon these tenants; and whether Mrs. M'Givney herself has not repudiated the suggestion that her neighbours, with whom she has lived on the best of terms, have had anything to do with this burning, which she believes to have been either accidental or the work of some passing tramp?
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)May I ask whether the hon. and learned Gentleman will answer the question on the paper at all, seeing that the answer might prejudice the claim for damages at the Presentment Sessions?
§ *MR. MADDENI do not think the answer will affect any claim. The constabulary authorities report that it is the case that a National League Convention was held at Drogheda at which the Mayor attended, at which it is stated he presided, and at which a resolution was proposed denouncing in the strongest terms the action which had taken place in relation to the taking of the evicted farms on the Massereene estate. About five hours afterwards the corn mill referred to was destroyed by fire, together with the machinery, and the walls, although standing, have been rendered useless. Mrs. M'Givney and son are both Roman Catholic tenants on the estate and refused to join the Plan of Campaign when adopted there. The police believe the fire to have been malicious, but so far, no person has been made amenable. I am not aware there is any information connecting the 1715 occurrence with any person in particular. If the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Gill) will put his question on the paper I will endeavour to answer it.
§ MR. SEXTONDoes the hon. Gentleman not consider that his statement that the police believe the injury to be malicious, will be prejudicial to the question of claim? And may I ask him to endeavour to undo the harm he has done by stating whether this is merely the belief of the police, or whether the statement rests on evidence?
§ *MR. MADDENHaving received information from the Constabulary authorities on the subject, I am bound to give an answer to the hon. Member who puts that question; and I presume that when they state that they believe the burning to have been malicious, of course they acted on some information which was before them.
§ MR. GILLMay I ask whether the tenant referred to here is not a tenant who has taken land from which another tenant has been evicted, and consequently is not of the class which is supposed to have been denounced?
§ *MR. MADDENI am unable to answer the question without notice.