§ MR. W. A. MACDONALD (King's County, Ossory)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is correctly reported as having, in a speech addressed to Nonconformists at Willis's Rooms last Wednesday, used these words: "You will find, for example, that in the case of boycotting at Youghal, the boycotters, so far as I have been able to judge, have been instigated, in the first instance, by Roman Catholic priests, that the boycotters are invariably Roman Catholics, and that the boycottees are invariably Protestants;" whether this statement is to be understood as applying only to Youghal, or as extending to the whole of Ireland; whether he will lay upon the Table a statement showing the proportion of Protestants among all people boycotted; and whether he can cite an instance in any part of Ireland in which a branch of the National League has boycotted any Protestant as a Protestant, or on account of his religious belief?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe report seems accurate, except that "Roman Catholic priests" should be "a Roman Catholic priest." The statement referred only to Youghal, though no doubt priests have in other parts of Ireland frequently instigated boycotting. As regards the last paragraphs, I have to say that I not only never suggested that boycotting was on account of religious belief, but that I suggested precisely the contrary. If Protestants have been subjected to outrages instigated by the 1853 League, it is presumably because they have had the courage to resist its tyranny.
§ MR. FLYNNAre we to understand that it was a particular Roman Catholic priest who was referred to, and if that conjecture is right, has the right hon. Gentleman seen the correspondence between the Roman Catholic priest referred to and the editor of a certain newspaper in England, in which the Roman Catholic priest indignantly denies having had anything to do with boycotting, and furthermore, that the boycotting had anything to do with religion?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have not seen the correspondence to which the hon. Member refers.
§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin County, N.)Who is the Roman Catholic priest in question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURCanon Kellar.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)Will the right hon. Gentleman make that statement outside this House?
§ MR. W. MACDONALDWill the right hon. Gentleman explain the expression referred to in the question, "You will find that the boycotters are invariably Protestants?"
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not know that it is part of my functions to explain in this House speeches which are made outside the House. What I say is that so far as the boycotting in Youghal is concerned, it is openly alleged that the persons boycotted were Protestants and the boycotters were Roman Catholics. That was the statement made by the Lord Lieutenant, and it appears to be perfectly correct.
§ MR. FLYNNIs it not the fact that the majority of the persons boycotted are Catholics because they are land grabbers?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have already stated that the remarks of the Lord Lieutenant had relation to the boycotting at Youghal, and to Youghal alone.