§ MR. BLANE (Armagh, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that, on the 28th June, Thomas Hagan, of Drumgrass, passing through "Old Town," Cookstown, County Tyrone, was waylaid by Orangemen and badly beaten; that John Doris and Patrick M'Ginnity were stoned passing through this quarter on 1st and 12th July; that, on the 12th, James Doris was also attacked and badly injured; whether, after the annoyance given the Catholic congregation at church on the evening of the 28th June, two inhabitants of Cookstown swore an information before the Magistrates that there was likely to be a breach of the peace if Orange arches were put up by Orangemen in the Catholic quarter of Cookstown; and, if so, what action was taken in consequence of this sworn information; and, if the Government will place a police barrack in "Old Town," for the protection of passengers in that quarter, as requested in several Memorials to Government by inhabitants of Cookstown?
§ THE CHIEF SECEETAEY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. Balfour,) Manchester. E.From the Report received from the Constabulary Authorities, it would appear that the circumstances were not of the serious nature represented in the question. The information referred to in the second paragraph was sworn. The Resident Magistrate and District Inspector of Constabulary considered the matter, and decided there was no ground to anticipate a breach of the peace. The district where the arch 1414 was erected is not an exclusively Roman Catholic quarter. As a matter of fact, there was no disturbance in connection with the erection of the arch. Two Memorials have recently been received asking that a barrack should be established at Old Town. The proposal is under consideration.