HC Deb 09 May 1890 vol 344 cc563-5
MR. SEXTON

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can now make his promised statement as to the conduct of the police at Ballinasloe on the occasion of the funeral of Mr. Harris, M.P.?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The Constabulary Authorities report that the police waited on the leaders of the committee organised to carry out the public funeral or Mr. Harris, and mentioned that if a funeral oration were delivered a Government shorthand writer would be present, and requested to know whether any objection would be raised. The police were informed at once that there would not be the slightest objection, and that, on the contrary, every facility would be given to the police. The police, accompanied by a shorthand writer in plain clothes, simply walked into the graveyard with the rest of the concourse of about 2,000 people, and paid as much respect to the dead as any one present.

MR. SEXTON

As there is a direct conflict of testimony on the subject, will the Chief Secretary give any facilities for inquiring into the truth of the allegatio: against the police?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Well, really, do not know what further inquiry ca be made unless by a Special Commission

MR. SEXTON

The right hon Gentleman has had enough of Specie Commissions for the present. Did the right hon. Gentleman approve of the intrusion of the police on the relatives o the deceased; and, if he approved of the presence of an armed force at funerals it Ireland, would he, at least, undertake that this should be done on the orders of the Executive, and not at the discretion of the local police?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I think the hon. Gentleman has misinterpreted the facts. He talks of an armed force as if there had been an army of police, with swords drawn, bayonets fixed, and all the rest of it.

MR. SEXTON

They had swords.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The police were not armed in the manner suggested. There were only, I think, eight policemen altogether, a far less number, by the way, than would be present in the case of a large public funeral in England or Scotland. It seems to me the Head Constable acted properly in asking the committee making the arrangements for a public funeral whether they had any objections to the police attending or not. The request in this case seems to have been made in a respectful manner. With regard, however, to the question, I am distinctly of opinion that unless there was some ground to think that illegal speeches were going to be made there was no occasion for having police reporters about the grave; and that unless there was some proof that the funeral was to be made the excuse for illegal speeches the police reporters should not be present.

MR. SEXTON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the constables had their side arms, and also not merely attended in the churchyard, but formed a line immediately about the grave and shut out the mourners from the coffin?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I do not think the hon. Gentleman is correct in his facts. The police had their batons only, and not their side arms. Of that I am not quite sure; but I am distinctly informed that no obstruction of any kind was offered to the mourners by the police.

MR. T. M. HEALY

The grave of the late Mr. Biggar was similarly "mouacharded."

MR. HAYDEN

I myself saw the side arms. Will the Chief Secretary make further inquiries, there being a great deal of dissatisfaction in the district on the subject.

MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

Is it the custom, when men are buried in Westminster Abbey, to have police notetakers to take notes of speeches?

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!