§ DR. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that within the past month a man named Deskin, a bailiff on the property of Lord Ardilaun, accompanied by other bailiffs, attacked the hut of an evicted tenant named Nicholas Noonan, living near Ballinrobe, and forcibly ejected him and his family without any decree of ejectment or other process of law, and that the hut was completely destroyed; whether Deskin was armed with any legal warrant for such proceedings; whether he is aware that, on Noonan offering resistance, Deskin presented a loaded revolver at his face and threatened to blow his brains out; whether Deskin had a licence to carry a revolver; and, if so, will it be revoked; whether, if Deskin had not a licence, the authorities will prosecute him for carrying a revolver without legal authority; and whether Noonan was prosecuted for resisting the bailiff, and returned for trial, while Noonan's application for a cross-summons was refused?
MR. J. MORLEYI understand that the bailiff acted in this case under a decree of ejectment obtained at Quarter Sessions on July 20 last. It is a fact that the bailiff drew a revolver on Noonan, but not, as I am informed, until after Noonan had stabbed one of the bailiff's assistants with a pitchfork and was about to make another attempt to stab. The bailiff has a licence to carry a revolver, and there are no grounds for revoking the licence. Proceedings are pending against Noonan, who has been returned for trial to the next Quarter Sessions at Gal way on October 19. His application for a cross-summons against the bailiff was refused at Petty Sessions, the Magistrate stating that, in his opinion, the circumstances of the case warranted the action of the bailiff in drawing his revolver.