§ MR. SMITH-BARRY (Hunts, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention was called to a meeting held on 25th September, 1892, at Brade, near Myrosswood, in the County of Cork, for the purpose of denouncing Captain Townshend, of Myrosswood, for evicting a tenant, at which meeting the Rev. J. Lyons, Administrator, said that he expected the people of that locality had been sufficiently educated to know what their duty was on that occasion, and knowing it to act up to it; whether he is aware that, since the delivery of that speech, Captain Townshend and his family have been subjected to constant annoyance, and that the women belonging to the family of the evicted tenant were recently bound over to keep the peace for molesting Captain Townshend and his mother and sister while going to church; whether he is also aware that letters and notices have been received by the blacksmiths who work for Captain Townshend, and by a neighbouring shopkeeper who has supplied his servants with provisions, threatening them with death; and whether he is taking any steps to put a stop to this system of persecution?
§ MR. FLYNNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the gist of the speech was simply the expression of a hope that nobody would take the farm?
MR. J. MORLEYMy attention was drawn to the proceedings at the meeting mentioned in the first paragraph of the question. Several members of the evicted tenant's family were convicted and fined on February 17 for trespass on the lands of the evicted farm, and on the 17th instant two female members of the family were bound over to keep the peace as stated. The facts are correctly set forth in the third paragraph, though I am glad to say that the notices have not had the effect desired by their authors. Every possible effort is being used to put a stop to these practices, and protection of the most ample nature has been, and is, afforded to Captain Townshend and his servants.