§ MR. MAHONYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is a fact that a meeting announced to be held on July 21st at Bective Abbey, County Meath, the object of which was to raise funds for the support of certain evicted tenants, was proclaimed; whether the district is a perfectly peaceful one; and, whether he will state at whose instance and for what reasons this effort to deprive the people of the district of the right of public meeting has been made?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe meeting was proclaimed on a sworn information, there being reason to believe that the object of the meeting was to prevent the farms from being taken, and that the holding of it would be an overt act in the general conspiracy now existing with that object. The proclamation was signed by Mr. M'Carthy, the Resident Magistrate of the district.