§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDEI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland if he is aware that a police constable from Courtown, County Wexford, recently left with Mr. William Bolyer, tailor, of Gorey, material for a suit of plain clothes, for which he was measured; whether, subsequently, this constable was ordered by Head Constable M'Cormack, his superior officer, to cancel the order and take away the stuff; and, if so, what was the reason for the head constable giving such an order; and whether the sub-constable has cancelled the contract?
§ *MR. MADDENThe Constabulary Authorities report that the head constable never gave any such order as that alleged in the question, and that he has not cancelled his contract with the tailor who has the cloth in his possession.
§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDEI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland if he is aware that on Friday, 20th June, James Redmond, victualler, and two other men were about entering the Gorey Railway Station, when a police constable named Harper ran to the entrance and knocked Redmond down, and that Redmond sustained such severe injuries that he was unable to transact business next day; if he can state what excuse the constable gives for the attack; and whether it is true that the constable has served Redmond and his companions with a summons for assault?
§ *MR. MADDENI am informed that the facts are not as stated in the first paragraph; but as the circumstances will be judicially investigated at the hearing of the summonses against Redmond and another, I must ask to be excused from making any detailed statement at present.
§ MR. W. REDMONDIs it not the fact that this man was attacked simply and solely because ho is a strong Nationalist?
§ *MR. MADDENMy information does not enable me to answer that question.
§ MR. J. O'CONNORI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland whether he is aware that a flagstaff with a large green flag floating from it has been erected at the head of William O'Brien Street, Tipperary, in the same place where two flags have been recently successively torn down by the police; and why, if the police thought it wrong that the former flags should be placed there, do they permit the present flag to remain?
§ *MR. MADDENThe Constabulary Authorities report that it is not the case that the flagstaff has been erected in the same place where those recently removed had been. The present staff has been erected in a field which is private property, and no obstruction to the public way has been created. It has, accordingly, not been interfered with.
§ MR. J. O'CONNORI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact 315 that on the 19th instant, Nicholas Delany, Street Inspector of the town of Tipperary was pushed off the footpath by Sub-Constable Earl, who said, in reply to Delany's remonstrance, "I do not give a damn what you are," and afterwards, when Delany stopped to make some notes in his book, came up to him saying, "I told you before to leave the flags," when Delany was obliged to go on to the roadway; and that three hours afterwards an acting sergeant removed Delany from the street, and subsequently arrested him; whether any charge has been brought against Delany since; and have any difficulties been thrown in the way of his obtaining the name of the policeman who arrested him, with a view of a prosecution?
§ MR. STOREY (Sunderland)Can a policeman order any man to move on if he is not causing an obstruction or interfering with the due and proper use of the street? Suppose that I am the only person on a footpath, is a policeman at liberty to order me to move on? Have I not the right to remain there if I please?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLIs it not the fact that groups of persons are in the habit of surrounding particular shops in order to boycott persons who desire to go into them?
§ *MR. MADDENNo policeman has a right to interfere with any man in the street unless he is causing an obstruction; but in this case I am informed that the footpath was obstructed, and the persons obstructing it were, therefore, asked to move on.
§ MR. J. O'CONNORMay I ask if there is any justification for the insinuation conveyed in the question of the hon. Member for South Tyrone (Mr. T. W. Russell); is it not a common practice for labourers to stand about the streets awaiting hire; and if three or four of such labourers were on the wide footpath would it constitute an obstruction in the estimation of the police and of the authorities?
§ *MR. MADDENThe amount of obstruction must be judged by the Police Authorities according to the circumstances. In this case I have no information as to the amount of obstruction.
§ MR. STOREYIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman satisfied that in this case there was obstruction?
§ *MR. MADDENI have no means of satisfying myself as to this matter of fact. The police were in the belief that there was obstruction.