§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the house and shop of a man named Kinton were maliciously burned and everything destroyed on Sunday night last, at Moyrus, County Galway, and that the police found paraffin and matches near the ruins; and if, in consideration of the state of feeling in Moyrus, he will consider the propriety of establishing a police station there for the protection of life and property?
§ MR. BODKIN (Roscommon, S.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a bad case of this nature occurred on the De Freyne estate lately, and that for it no one was amenable? Seeing that this offence is so often practised with impunity by the Irish landlords, will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to secure its impartial repression.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLThere is no question of landlord and tenant in this case.
MR. J. MORLEYI must confess I do not think the cases cited by the hon. and learned Member are very apt. It is a fact that the house and shop of Mr. Kinton, together with a considerable amount of property, were destroyed by fire on Monday morning, and that paraffin oil and matches were found near the scene. The Divisional Commissioner and County Inspector have personally investigated the case on the spot, and both of these officers inform me that the motive of the occurrence is at present involved in some doubt. Kinton is most popular with his Roman Catholic neighbours, with whom he did a very flourishing trade, and he did not in any way mix himself up with the mission work in the locality. He was always a Protestant, and there is nothing sectarian in the case. The matter of placing a police barrack at Moyrus has been for some time under consideration, but the Divisional Commissioner sees no reason for concluding that the occurrence of this outrage renders the establishment of a police-station necessary. As a matter of fact, a police patrol had passed Kinton's house shortly before the fire was observed, and they had only 1127 got about half a mile from the house when the flames were observed, and they hastened to the scene. The police could not have been more promptly on the spot even had there been a barrack at Moyrus at the time.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI beg to give notice that on the Estimates I shall raise the question of police protection at Moyrus.