§ MR. P. J. O'BRIEN (Tipperary, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that some five or six police pensioners attend as members at the meetings of an Association under the title of "The Cloughjordan County Tipperary Defence Union," which is a society of a few Orangemen in the district in opposition to "Home Rule;" and that, on a recent occasion, the sergeant of police attended their meeting in the discharge of his duty and was ordered to leave; and, if so, will the police pensioners in question be cautioned against being connected with any Association for political objects?
MR. J. MORLEYIt is reported to be a fact that six constabulary pensioners attended as members of the Defence Union at Cloughjordan, and that two of the local police who attended in the ordinary discharge of their duty were ordered to leave their meeting on December 5 last. The Inspector General has no control over the action of police pensioners in matters of this kind.