§ MR. DANE (Fermanagh, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that upon the night of the 1st August a large quantity of turf built in two stacks upon the lands of Cornahitta, near Bolleek, in the County Fermanagh, the property of Patrick Keown, was maliciously destroyed by fire; whether he is aware that on the 21st July an article was published in The Donegal Vindicator calling upon the Towra Branch of the National Federation to deal with the person who had built a wall upon a farm from which a man named Henry M'Laughlin had been evicted many years ago, Patrick Keown being the person who had built such wall; has any person been made amenable; whether ho is aware that in the same newspaper an article was published instigating attacks upon the Protestant people attending the gospel mission services at Bundoran; and will the Government take steps to punish the past and prohibit the future instigation of outrages by newspapers?
MR. J. MORLEYIt is a fact that on the 1st instant 49 horseloads of turf, the property of Patrick Keown, were maliciously destroyed by fire. No person has yet been made amenable in respect of this outrage. With regard to the particular newspaper publications referred to, I am advised that though they are open to considerable censure, yet the Criminal Law has not been violated, and that it would be impossible to establish in a Court of Law any connection between the publications and the acts complained of.
§ MR. M. J. KENNY (Tyrone, Mid)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the editor and proprietor of this paper is a Protestant?