§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if it is a fact that, at the trial of Father Crowley, at Bantry, on the 23rd instant, the following forces were stationed in the town: 150 police, under the command of a county Inspector and four district Inspectors; 50 soldiers of the Welsh Regiment, under the command of Captain Trishy; and 50 marines from H.M. Gunboat Shannon, under the command of Captain Kelly; and, if so, why was this force drafted into this town? I beg further to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether his attention had been called to the reports in the Cork papers of the trial of Rev. J. J. Crowley, at Bantry, on Monday last, before Mr. Roche, R.M., and Captain Wick, R.M., on a charge brought under the Criminal Law and Procedure Act, in which it is stated that—
Mr. Shinkevin (counsel for the defendant, said that he should complain that some of his witnesses were not permitted to enter Court) and were hustled about by policemen;and that Mr. Roche, R.M., said—That orders had been given to admit the witnesses, but the Bench had not control of Die outside arrangements of the Court;If he can state who had charge of the arrangements outside of the Court, and why were not the proper facilities given for the admission of witnesses on behalf of the accused clergyman?
§ DR. KENNY (Cork, S.)I beg also to ask the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that on Wednesday, the 25th instant, at Bantry, County Cork, the Rev. Father Crowley, of Goleen, County Cork, was sentenced by the Magistrates, Messrs. Roche and Welch, to sentences of one month each on two charges of intimidation, and a further term of four months in default of giving bail to be of good behaviour, on the charges of having intimidated the Rev. Mr. Hopley, Rector of Tourmore, County Cork, and Sergeant Rourke, of the local police force, 211 by using expressions of indignation at what he considered the unjust eviction of a Protestant tenant, who is old and blind, named Bayley, and his treatment by the Trustees of the local or Protestant Church, of part of the lands of which Bayley was a tenant, another part of the charge of intimidation against Father Crowley being that he used intimidating language when expressing sympathy with a Protestant tenant, named Tom Donovan, who was recently imprisoned for refusing to remove from his land a hut he had permitted to be erected there as shelter for an evicted tenant; whether his attention has been called to the fact that Sergeant Nolan, who was examined for the prosecution, admitted, on cross-examination, that Father Crowley was remarkable for the moderation of his language, and had often been the means of bringing about amicable settlements between landlords and tenants in the district; and that on several occasions, in his chapel and elsewhere, he had himself heard Father Crowley warn the people against breaking the law, and whether in this case, the Magistrates having refused to state a case for the Superior Courts, any appeal is possible?
MR. A. J.BALFOURThe Rev. Father Crowley was sentenced for very gross intimidation against a Protestant clergy man, named Hopley, and a police sergeant, named Rourke, for having given evidence against one Donovan, who, as I understand, had threatened violence against Mr. Hopley. Sergeant Nolan praised the moderation which Father Crowley had often shown in his language. Unfortunately, that moderation does not seem to have been invariable. The Magistrates may be compelled by a mandamus to state a case if their refusal to do so has been an improper one.
§ DR. KENNYHow is it, if this is a case of gross intimidation, a sentence of only one month's imprisonment was inflicted, by which the accused was deprived of the right of appeal. In view of his own promises in this House, will the right hon. Gentleman in future instruct the Magistrates to give such sentences as would allow an appeal?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not admit that the infliction of a sentence of one month indicated that the offence was otherwise than of a serious character. 212 With regard to the last portion of the hon. Member's question I can only repeat that I have neither the right nor the power to interfere with the Magistrates.
§ MR. J. O'CONNOR (Tipperary, S.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that most of the parishioners of this clergyman have joined the Roman Catholic faith as a protest against the sentence?
§ MR. J. MORLEY (Newcastle-on-Tyne)I beg to give notice that at the earliest possible date I will call attention to this extraordinary case.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORWas the alleged intimidation employed on behalf of a Protestant tenant, whom the Roman Catholic clergyman represented as oppressed?
§ MR. A.J. BALFOURNo, I do not think that that accurately represents what occurred. The case originally arose from the eviction of a Protestant tenant, but I understand that Donovan, with regard to whom Mr. Hopley gave evidence as to threatened violence, was not a Protestant. [Several hon. MEMBERS: Yes, he was.]
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will take any proceedings for criminal conspiracy against the 40 Protestant families who have left the Protestant church and gone to the Roman Catholic church, and thereby deprived the Protestant clergyman of his living?
§ [No answer was given.]