§ MR. TUITE (Westmeath, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on Saturday evening, the 3rd instant, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., an Orange fife and drum band from Ballymena stopped opposite the Roman Catholic church in the town of Antrim, and there, surrounded by a large crowd, obstructed the thoroughfare and played 1474 Party tunes, including "Kick the Pope," while the priests and people were at their devotions in the church; that, when the sergeant of police ordered them to move away, a member of the band used most insulting language and brandished a drum stick in the sergeant's face; and that the band, on going away, began to curse the Pope and make use of other insulting language in the presence of the police; whether this same band misconducted themselves in Antrim on another occasion within the last three years, when the police were chased into their barracks; whether any, and what, steps will be taken to prevent a repetition of this conduct and to protect the Catholic people from insult when attending devotions in their church; and whether he can state if there is any Roman Catholic holding the Commission of the Peace within the Petty Sessions district of Antrim, and, if not, why some of the eligible Catholics living there are not appointed Magistrates?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURFrom the Constabulary Report received in the matter it would appear that the facts are altogether exaggerated in the question. So far as the police are aware, there was no Divine Service going on in the chapel. The parish priest was observed at the chapel door and afterwards at his house, and he did not inform them that there was any service going on. A drummer did shake his drumstick at the sergeant, but the band do not appear to have cursed anybody or used insulting language. It is not the case that this band ever chased the police into their barracks or committed any breach of the peace. The police will at all times take every possible step to prevent any interruption to Divine Service. There appears to be one Roman Catholic Magistrate who has attended occasionally at the Antrim Petty Sessions. The Lord Chancellor of Ireland is always ready to consider the names of any properly qualified Roman Catholics who may be recommended to him for appointment to the Commission of the Peace by the Lieutenant of the County.
§ MR. SEXTONIs it not the fact that on a recent occasion when a Nationalist band defended themselves against an attack by the crowd, the bandsmen were all summoned? In this 1475 case it appears that the band defied the police.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no information.