§ MR. CLANCYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it was a fact that on Saturday, March 30th, an "emergency man" and two policemen visited the establishments of two or three prominent Nationalist shopkeepers in the town of Newbridge, county of Kildare, and presented orders for food, at prices fixed by themselves, and not accepted by the traders in question; and whether the object of this proceeding was to lay the foundation for a prosecution for boycotting; and, if so, whether it will be brought to the notice of the Attorney General for Ireland, with a view to the institution of a prosecution against the emergency men and police referred to for intimidation?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Constabulary authorities report that the facts are not accurately represented in the question. An emergency man did visit the establishments of three licensed publicans on the day named. At one of the establishments he was informed that he would not get the provisions for the sum of 10s. tendered by him; at the next he was told that the bread and groceries were engaged; and at the next he refused to take the goods, as he considered the prices extortionate. But it is not the case that any prices were fixed by the police, nor had they anything to say to the matter, their presence toeing merely due to the fact that they were engaged in affording the man 1794 personal protection. The man does no appear to have expressed any object fo asking for the goods in question, no was there any intimidation practised by emergency men or police in the matter.