§ MR. MACARTNEY (Antrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland by whose authority Sergeant M'Donald, Royal Irish Constabulary, of Castleblayney, interfered with the band practice at Annyart; whether he was instructed to caution the members of the band against continuing their practice; and whether he had received any instructions with regard to this band and its members?
MR. J. MORLEYI understand that what happened was this—the sergeant of police, in a private conversation with one of the members of the local band, said he had been told that the playing of Party tunes caused annoyance to the Nationalists. The sergeant made this statement entirely on his own responsibility, and without the direction of his officer; but he appears to have acted with an undoubtedly good intention.