§ MR. M'CARTANI bog to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the circumstances under which Constable Gallagher of the Royal Irish Constabulary was recently removed from Dundrum, County Down, to Sligo, after being charged with not arresting at Dundrum Railway Station a man named Nolan, who had, in the hearing of the Marquess of Downshire, shouted "Three cheers for Air. Gladstone and Home Rule"; whether any complaint against the constable for not having arrested Mr. Nolan was made by the Marquess of Downshire; and, if not, by whom was the complaint made; whether ho is aware that the County Inspector called upon the bailiff of the Marquess and apologised for the insult offered the Marquess, and immediately afterwards transferred Constable Gallagher from Dundrum to Sligo without giving him any opportunity of 771 explanation; whether, in accordance with the Constabulary Code, Constable Gallagher could have acted otherwise than ho did; and if, considering the great dissatisfaction existing in the district, he will have the matter investigated?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY,) Newcastle-upon-TyneThe constable named was transferred by order of the Inspector General for negligence in the discharge of his duty in not having taken cognisance of the disorderly conduct of an individual who, while in a drunken state, made use of most objectionable language to females on the railway platform at Dundrum. The constable, in his explanation, stated that as the train was moving off he heard the man make use of the expression referred to in the question; but the charge preferred against the constable was one of neglect of duty under the circumstances which I have mentioned, and the County Inspector states lie never heard of the expression in connection with the matter until the constable mentioned it in his explanation. The complaint originated by the Marquess of Downshire calling upon the constable to know had he not the power to remove the man; and this having been brought under the notice of the sergeant, he reported the matter to the County Inspector. The County Inspector did not apologise to the bailiff for the insult offered. It was the duty of the constable to apprehend a person who was guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour in a public place, and I may add that a few hours after the incident referred to the man Nolan was arrested for being drunk and incapacitated, and was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. The Inspector General's action in the case entailed no punishment on the constable, whose transfer was not at his own expense, and no unfavourable record has been made against him. The official correspondence which has passed in the matter is now receiving my attention.
§ MR. M'CARTANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, in accordance with the Constabulary Code, it is not the duty of constables to arrest drunken persons at railway stations?
§ MR. J. MORLEYI do not carry all the Articles of the Code in my mind. The offence of which this man was 772 alleged to have been guilty was being disorderly and using obscene language.
§ MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is any excuse for a drunken man to be lot off that he calls for three cheers for Mr. Gladstone?
§ [The question was not answered.]