§ MR. BLANEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has 184 been informed that, on the evening of the 12th July last, a number of Orangemen coming out of an Orange Lodge at Tullynamallogue, near Keady, County Armagh, cursed the Pope, attacked some Catholic boys and girls, and fired guns and revolvers at them; whether Mr. Starkie, the District Inspector, has issued summonses against a number of Catholics, charging them with assaulting William Morris and others of the attacking party on that occasion; and whether any summonses have been issued against the Orange party, who were the aggressors; and whether this is the first time that the Catholics of this district have been prosecuted by the Constabulary for defending themselves when similarly attacked?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Constabulary Authorities report that an affray took place about one mile from Keady, between some Protestants and Roman Catholics on the night of the 12th July. Evidence has been obtained against three of the former and five of the latter, against whom summonses have accordingly been issued for hearing at the next Petty Sessions. No person was summoned for assaulting Morrison, nor am I able to say which party were the aggressors, this being a matter which the Court no doubt will determine. A similar party affray occurred in the Keady district in February last. Members of both sides were prosecuted, and the cases stand adjourned to the middle of this month in order to see how the accused would in the meantime behave themselves.