§ MR. M. MCCARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he received from the Town Commissioners of Portadown a resolution adopted at their meeting on the 1st instant, calling upon the Government to grant an inquiry into the riots at Portadown in July last; whether his attention has been called to the report of their proceedings, as published in the Portadown News of the 6th instant, from which it appears that most serious charges of misconduct were brought against the police by the Town Commissioners; whether any inquiry has been held, and if any evidence has 311 been given in support of this charge; and whether he will state under what circumstances Sergeant M'Rudden, who had considerable local knowledge and who could have identified the rioters, was removed from Portadown within a few days of the commencement of the riots?
§ *THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. L. JACKSON, Leeds, N.)The Constabulary Authorities report that a resolution, of the nature referred to, from the Town Commissioners of Portadown was received a few days ago, and the matter is being fully investigated. No charges of misconduct against the police have been preferred by the Town Commissioners to the police authorities in Portadown; but inquiries have been already instituted, and are still proceeding. In regard to the newspaper report referred to, local inquiry is being made on the subject-matter of the last paragraph.