§ MR. W. REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary 1o the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it has come to the knowledge of the Police Authorities in Clare that Colonel O'Callaghan, J.P., of Maryfort, Tulla, when recently applied to for a temporary licence to sell excisable drinks at a fair in the county by a man named Meehan, a publican of Tulla, used threatening language to Meehan, and fired several revolver shots at him from a window of his residence as Meehan was leaving his lawn; did the police guard who were then at the house, or their 129 superior officers, take any, and, if so, what, action in the matter, or is it proposed to take any action; and, if not, will he explain why; has the attention of the Lord Chancellor been called to this conduct on the part of a Magistrate when called upon to discharge his duty; and what course does he propose to follow in the matter?
MR. J. MORLEYI am informed that late on the night of May 12 last Mr. Meehan went to the residence of Colonel O'Callaghan for the purpose stated in the question, but that the latter refused to see him at this late hour. Owing to the conflicting statements of Colonel O'Callaghan's servant, who appears in the first place to have told him that the District Inspector of Police wanted to see him, and, after contradicting this, that Mr. Meehan wished to see him, Colonel O'Callaghan seems to have thought that there was something amiss, and he went to a back window and discharged his revolver in order to summon his protection party. Meehan, who at this point was walking away from the house, was detained by the police until the matter was cleared up. The shots were fired from Colonel O'Callaghan's bedroom window at the back of the house as Meehan was going in the opposite direction, so that there is no foundation for the statement that the shots were fired at him. I am also informed that it is not the fact that Colonel O'Callaghan used threatening language towards Meehan, whom, indeed, he did not see on the night of the occurrence. It is not proposed, under the circumstances, to take any action in the matter.
§ MR. W. REDMONDMight I ask if the right hon. Gentleman, in view of the effect likely to arise in the locality from the fact that this Magistrate fired a revolver out of his bedroom window in the middle of the night, whether he will call the attention of the Lord Chancellor to the matter with a view to preventing Colonel O'Callaghan behaving in this disgraceful manner in the future?
MR. J. MORLEYI am not sure that Colonel O'Callaghan's conduct deserves so strong an epithet as that used by the hon. Member. It appears he, being under personal police protection, thought there was something more in the visit than a person wishing to see him, and he fired 130 his revolver—as he says, a very natural thing to do—in order to call the attention of his protecting party.
§ MR. W. REDMONDAm I to understand the right hon. Gentleman approves of the conduct of Colonel O'Callaghan in firing a revolver at that hour of the night in the circumstances?
MR. J. MORLEYI do not think I am called upon to express moral approval or disapproval, but I do think it is very likely I should have done the same thing myself in the circumstances.
§ MR. W. REDMONDAm I to gather from the answer of the right hon. Gentleman that if I go to Clare and consider there is anything amiss I am to be at liberty to fire a revolver? [Laughter.]
§ MR. W. REDMONDI beg to give notice that, in consequence of the answer I will take the first opportunity of calling attention to the dissatisfaction which is caused in the neighbourhood by conduct of this kind on the part of Colonel O'Callaghan—blackguardly conduct, I call it.