§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether a body of people, who had assembled in New Tipperary on Wednesday last, and had lighted a bon fire to express their joy at Mr. O'Brien's marriage, were charged and batoned by the police, who extinguished the fire and carried off a flag which the people had set up; and, if so, on what grounds they acted? I should also like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, on the occasion of this charge, when the police batoned these people, they struck two women; whether, on the flagstaff having been thrown down into the fire, a woman who was endeavouring to extinguish it was struck by a policeman; whether it it is true that a policeman presented a revolver in the face of a man who was standing inside his own hall-door; and whether the flagstaff, having been re-erected by the Nationalists, has been again cut down by the police?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWith regard to the various supplementary questions, 1022 I shall be glad to give the hon. Member any information if he will put them on the Paper. I may say, however, that I gather that the flagstaff the hon. Member alluded to was not in the same place as the bonfire, but in another part of the town. With regard to the question on the Paper, lam informed that fires were lighted in the public streets and caused obstruction. It is not the case that people were charged and batoned; as a matter of fact, no batons were drawn by the police.
§ MR. SEXTONDid the Local Body of Town Commissioners raise any objection to the celebration?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not know that they did, but I imagine the police in the ordinary discharge of their duty would not wait for such a representation.
§ MR. DILLONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that is the common practice to light bonfires at night in country towns in Ireland, and can there be any obstruction of the streets when the entire population of the town, without exception, are parties to the lighting of the fire?
§ MR. PARNELL (Cork)Does the right hon. Gentleman approve of brutal treatment merely for the purpose of putting out a bonfire?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot regard as brutal the putting out of lighted bonfires in the public streets. Of course, if the entire population are engaged in having an evening round the bonfire, it cannot be said they were incommoded by it. But there may have been persons in the town who were not parties to what was going on.
§ MR. J. O'CONNOR (Tipperary, S.)Were not the bonfires lighted after dark, when all traffic was ended?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not know what the practice may be in country towns in Ireland, but certainly the practice in England is to light bonfires after dark. But traffic in England is not ended after dark.
§ MR. DILLONHas the right hon. Gentleman ever been in an Irish country town?
MR. BRYN ROBERTS (Carnarvonshire, Eifion)Was not the reason for the police putting the bonfire out that it was lit in honour of Mr. O'Brien's marriage?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I think not.