§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that during the last week in May bailiffs were engaged making seizures for poor rate due to the Killarney Board of Guardians in the district between Beaufort and Killorglin, County Kerry; what number of police were employed in affording protection to the bailiffs; is he aware that rescues of cattle were successfully made by a large crowd armed with sticks and other weapons, and that a bailiff named M'Carthy was cut in the hand by a scythe, and identified Jeremiah Connor, an evicted tenant, of Lesliebann, as his assailant; and if the police have made any Report, or taken any steps in the matter?
MR. J. MORLEYIt is true that during the last week in May bailiffs were employed to make seizures under civil bill decrees for poor rate due to the Killarney Board of Guardians in the district between Beaufort and Killorglin. Twelve police were employed in affording 1464 protection to the bailiffs, but no seizure was made, and consequently no rescue was made or attempted. Neither is it the fact that a large crowd armed with sticks and other weapons assembled. Some stones were thrown from behind a hedge as the police approached the house of a man named John O'Connor, but no one was struck, and the police did not see who threw the stones. The bailiff M'Carthy was not cut in the hand with a scythe, nor did the police see him otherwise assaulted. M'Carthy broke in the door of Connor's house at Lesliebann, believing there were cattle inside, and alleged that Connor's son Jeremiah assaulted him. I may add that the statements of these alleged assaults and rescues, as well as those about which the how. Gentleman questioned me on Thursday last in the case of the Castleisland district, appear to have been founded on reports which were published in certain local newspapers. The accuracy of these reports was contradicted by the Divisional Commissioner and the County Inspector of Kerry in letters subsequently written to and published by the same papers; but these contradictions, I presume, were not supplied to the lion. Gentleman by his informant.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI take leave to inform the right hon. Gentleman that I never saw the reports. My information came from another source altogether.
§ MR. SEXTONDid not the false reports appear in The Kerry Post, a Tory newspaper?