§ MR. BLANEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether complaints have reached him that on the 29th July an Orange drumming party paraded the streets of Cookstown, County Tyrone, and stopped in front of the Catholic Church, using offensive language calculated to lead to a breach of the peace, and that at the further end of the town they fired five shots in the presence of District Inspector Yates, Head Constable Martin, and a force of Constabulary, at a number of Catholic young men playing football in a field; and, if true, what steps the authorities intend taking in the matter?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)The Constabulary Authorities report that the drumming party did not stop in front of the Roman Catholic Church, nor make use of any threatening language whatever in the hearing of the police, who were with them on duty at the time. It is the case that at the further end of the town five shots were fired. They were not discharged at a number of young men playing football, but were fired in the air. The police were unable to identify the person or persons who fired the shots, as it was dusk at the time, and the crowd was a large one.
§ MR. BLANEMay I ask if the fact that in the party there were several men armed with fireams would not constitute the assembly an illegal assembly liable to be dispersed by force?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think the fact mentioned by the hon. Member would of itself be sufficient to constitute the assembly an illegal one.