§ MR. GILL (Louth, S.)May I ask whether the Government have had any further information as to what passed at Charleville on Saturday night; and whether they still adhere to the account they have already given?
§ * MR. MADDENNo information has reached me tending to modify the information conveyed to the House yesterday. If the hon. Member desires further information he had better put down a question.
§ * MR. MADDENWe received it from two distinct sources; and I have since received no information to the contrary.
§ SIR GEORGE TREVELYAN (Glasgow, Bridgeton)Have the Government had any information, confirmatory or otherwise, of the statement in the Times that the hon. Member for North Monaghan (Mr. P. O'Brien) was seriously injured by the police when he came forward to shake hands with Mr. W. O'Brien?
§ * MR. MADDENThe hon. Member for North Monaghan received injury in the events which occurred at Charleville; but I cannot accept the statement that he was merely going forward to shake hands with Mr. W. O'Brien, and I have reason to believe that the accounts that were first given of the hon. Member's injuries were exaggerated.
§ SIR G. TREVELYANAs this is the case of a Member of the House whose personal character is known to many of us, we should like to know in what circumstances the hon. Member has been injured.
§ * MR. MADDENLater information than is in my possession may have been received by the Chief Secretary, who has just left the House, but who has been sent for on account of these questions being put.
§ MR. GILLThe hon. and learned Gentleman stated yesterday that the hon. Member for North Monaghan was engaged in an attempt at rescue when he received his injuries; and I therefore now ask whether the hon. and learned Gentleman has received any information confirmatory of that assertion?
§ * MR. MADDENI distinctly assert that I made no such statement yesterday. I stated that I was not in a position to give information as to the details of the occurrence, or to say whether it amounted to an attempt at rescue.
§ Mr. A. J. BALFOURhaving returned to his seat,
§ SIR G. TREVELYANMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he can give the House any information about the hon. Member for North Monaghan?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI believe it was stated to the House yesterday that the hon. Member had received some blow in the course of an attempted rescue. There was a large and excited crowd at the station; an attempt at rescue was feared by the police; and in 1269 the mêlée which occurred the injury was inflicted.
§ SIR G. TREVELYANI cannot quote the account given in the Times; but for personal reasons many of us would be glad to know how it came about that the hon. Member for North Monaghan was injured.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt would have been more convenient if the hon. Member had sent me a note half an hour before the House met. My recollection of the account sent to me is that there was a great crowd at the railway station; the crowd was very much excited and surged forward in a violent manner, nearly throwing the police upon the lines; the hon. Member was in the crowd, and in the course of the mêlée which ensued, and which put the police under the necessity of preventing any attempt at a rescue, the injuries were inflicted, but I have no reason to believe that they were very serious.
§ In answer to Mr. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.),
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid: I cannot add anything to the information which I gave yesterday. The further information which has been since received confirms the statement which I made yesterday that there was a deliberate and organized attempt to rescue the prisoner, and that shots were discharged in the course of this attempted rescue.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI made no such statement. Shots were fired in the course of an attempt to rescue. I know nothing more than that.
§ MR. GILLThe statement of the Solicitor General was that before the police fired the people had fired into the carriage in which Mr. O'Brien was.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURShots were fired in the course of a very violent attack by the crowd, and they were fired by the crowd. It was necessary that the police should show that they were prepared to protect their own lives and to prevent a rescue.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURYes.