§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, on Sunday, the 9th of December last, at Tibohine, Frenchpark, county Roscommon, two constables of the Royal Irish Constabulary, named Burns and M'Loughlin, interfered with a public collection in aid of the fund for the defence of the Irish Members which was in progress outside the gate of the Catholic church, collared and jostled those engaged in the collection, called on them to desist, threatened them with prosecution, took down the names of collectors and subscribers, and seized by force the subscription lists, and refused to give them back; whether Constable M'Loughlin, on asking what the collection was for, and being told that it was for the Parnell Indemnity Fund, said, "I cannot allow you to collect; you know it is illegal in a proclaimed district;" and Constable Burns added "you know you cannot collect money in a proclaimed district no matter for what purpose;" whether, eventually, upon the constables 1159 threatening to disperse the people, and one of them drawing his baton, the collection was given up, and the promoters of it requested the people to disperse, in order to avoid a disturbance; whether the lists headed "Parnell Indemnity Fund," and seized by the constables, have since been returned; whether, on a subsequent date, the constable who had seized and taken away the lists, on being asked to return them, said he did not know where they were, but that the sergeant might know, and the sergeant, being applied to, referred to the district inspector (Feely), and reported that the lists were in the hands of the Government; whether the lists will now be returned; what notice will be taken of the course pursued by the constables; and whether the police will be instructed that they are not entitled by law, in any part of Ireland, to interfere with collections for the fund in question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Constabulary authorities report that the constables mentioned were on duty on the occasion in question, and observed a large crowd on the road, and persons paying money to the man who had been secretary to the branch of the National League, which had been suppressed in that district as an unlawful association. They inquired of him the object, and were referred to the papers. Constable M'Loughlin then took two pages of a copybook containing some memoranda informing the apparent promoters that if the meeting did not prove to be illegal the papers would be safe. It is not the case that the constables collared or jostled anybody, or called upon the people to desist, or that either of them drew his baton or threatened anyone with prosecution, nor did either declare a collection in the district to be illegal, nor threaten to disperse the people, nor did any other person advise the people to disperse, while, as a matter of fact, the collection was only interrupted by the people entering the chapel for Mass, and was resumed and completed on their coming out. It is the case that one of the collectors was subsequently referred to the District Inspector for the two copybook pages; but up to the present no application has been made to him for them. Should such an application be made, it will be at once replied to. The police are re- 1160 ported to have acted bonâ fide in the discharge of their duty, and in no case would they interfere with collections for the fund unless they had reason to believe that the law was at the same time being violated.
§ MR. SEXTONI wish clearly to understand whether the lists, which were illegally impounded, have been returned; and if the police, who have acted under a misapprehension, will be instructed that collections for this indemnity fund are not illegal in any part of Ireland?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe collections are perfectly legal, and the Government have no desire to interfere with them.