HC Deb 19 June 1890 vol 345 cc1337-40
MR. SEXTON

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he proposes to take any action with reference to the following accusations made in the unanimous Report of the Town Commissioners of Cashel, and declared by the Commissioners, after investigation, to be established:— That, at about 4.30 p.m on Tuesday the 27th ultimo, the police at Cashel charged into private houses, and furiously attacked persons who had not been out of doors: That they next broke into the premises of a Mr. Cahill, and made a violent attack upon two young men named Connors and Maher: That they next attacked the house of Mr. Michael Noonan, a respectable victualler, breaking open his door, which was locked, and that on this occasion a constable stationed at Cashel maltreated Mr. Noonan's son: That a little boy of 10, named O'Meara, was knocked down by a constable, who kicked him in the face while he was down: That two town sergeants in uniform were hustled and assaulted by policemen, and that one of them, Town Sergeant Patrick Corcoran, was violently attacked in front of the house of Dr. Coyle, and under his observation: That two flags, displayed on a private house on the premises of the Corporation, were forcibly removed by the police: That a constable, named O'Connor, threatened to shoot a lad, named Heney, in his own house at the lower gate: That Constable Thomas Ryan attacked an Army pensioner, named Bryan, who was standing alone and quietly in the street, and struck him so violently on the head that he broke the baton, whereupon another constable asked him did he 'wish for more;' and that a boy, named Horley, aged 14, who carried a bannerette in a procession of schoolboys, had the bannerette taken from him, and was knocked down, arrested, and taken to the lock-up, and when his brother said, "Don't tear his coat," he also was arrested, and when his mother went to the station to inquire for him she was taken into custody?

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

When will the right hon. Gentleman be able to give the information which he promised the other day?

DR. TANNER

Can the right hon. Gentleman give the name of any reliable medical man who visited any of the persons who are alleged to have been ill-treated?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I do not know that I can add anything to the answer I gave to a question practically identical in its terms put to me by the hon. Member for Cork a day or two ago. I suppose that some of the alleged incidents will form the subject of judicial inquiry.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

Have there been any cases of persons received into the hopitals or infirmaries of Cashel or Tipperary on account of injuries sustained on the occasion referred to?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

In answer to the hon. Member for South Tyrone (Mr. T. W. Russell), I can only say that there is nothing which I have heard to induce me to depart from my original opinion I previously expressed, that no serious injuries at all were inflicted.

MR. SEXTON

As the charges include breaking into private houses and assaults on private persons, which have now been the subject of inquiry by the Local Commissioners, I wish to know what initiative the right hon. Gentleman will take to ascertain the facts of the case if the charges are proved to be true?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have made a thorough investigation, and nothing has come to my knowledge which would suggest that I should depart from the course which I have laid down. The inquiry of the Town Commissioners did not include an inquiry into the conduct of the police.

MR. SEXTON

There are some cases which were not the subject of judicial inquiry, and I wish to ask whether the Town Commissioners of Cashel have not stated that they would be prepared to submit affidavits to the Executive, and whether, if such affidavits are submitted, the right hon. Gentleman will, at least, order a Departmental Inquiry?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Any documents, whether affidavits or not, will receive full consideration. Until I see them, I cannot promise to found any action upon them.

MR. T. M. HBALY

How is it that an inquiry is promised to the hon. Member for South Tyrone in reference to the conduct of a medical officer, while the public are refused an inquiry into the action of the police?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

There is no analogy between the two cases. The question brought forward by the hon. Member for South Tyrone was as to the alleged misconduct of an official of the Local Government Board.

MR. T. M. HEALY

Is the House to understand that the Government will inquire into the action of a doctor who had received a red ticket, and will not inquire into the action of policemen who has broken the heads of Her Majesty's subjects.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The hon. Member seems to think that no inquiry has been made; of course I have made an inquiry.

MR. SEXTON

The question which I ask and press is, whether an inquiry will be ordered if the Board to which I have referred submits documents?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I cannot be expected to answer hypothetical questions of that character. Any documents submitted will receive attention, but I cannot promise that an inquiry will be held.

MR. E. HARRINGTON (Kerry, W.)

Have not the Police Authorities conveyed to the right hon. Gentleman the fact that the red ticket which has been alluded to was not marked "urgent," and that it was not usual for a dispensary-doctor to go out after dispensary hours in response to tickets not marked "urgent," and if these facts have been given by the police, why does the right hon. Gentleman insist on any inquiry?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

This question would have been more properly asked in relation to the previous question on the Paper; but, of course, if the statements which the hon. Gentleman makes are accurate, that will come out when the inquiry is instituted.

MR. J. O'CONNOR (Tipperary, S.)

I wish to know whether the right hon. Gentleman intends to convey to the House that no persons were injured by the charge of the police at Cashel; from whom did the right hon. Gentleman derive his information on this matter, and does he know that some people who were injured declined to report their injuries for fear of prosecution? I also wish to ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will inquire from the various chemists and apothecaries in Cashel as to the number of people treated by them for injuries.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

My answer was given on the best investigation I could make. No cases of injury have been treated in the hospitals or infirmaries of the district.

MR. J. O'CONNOR

There is no hospital in Cashel, and I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will inquire of the apothecary near the Post Office whether he did not treat people for injuries received from the police batons? I want to know the character of the men he treated, and whether they were all teetotallers.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I do not see the relevancy of the last observation of the hon. Member. The question of the hon. Member for South Tyrone was meant to elicit the fact that serious injuries, as far as could be discovered, had not been inflicted. I take it that injuries which are treated by an apothecary are not serious injuries.

MR. T. M. HBALY

There is no infirmary at Cashel except the poor house.

MR. J. O'CONNOR

As it is important to know what the right hon. Gentleman deems to be serious injuries, may I ask whether eight or ten wounds inflicted on the head of a person by a constable while the person was held by other constables can be called a serious injury?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

It would depend on the nature of the injuries.

MR. T. M. HEALY

What infirmary is there at Cashel?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I coupled Cashel with Tipperary, as they are habitually coupled in Debate on this subject.

MR. SHBEHY

What infirmary is there at Tipperary?

[No answer was given.]