§ MR. J. G. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the fact that, on the evening of the 13th January, and again on the evening of the 2nd March, the windows of the house of Charles M'Keown, a Catholic Nationalist farmer, residing at Ballygargin, County Armagh, were smashed by large stones, which were thrown into a room in which five young children were sleeping, thus imperilling their lives, and that a web of valuable yarn in the house was destroyed by the stones thus thrown into the house; whether he is aware that, after the occurrence of the 13th January, Mr. M'Keown reported the matter to the police at Queen Street Barrack, who paid no attention whatever to his complaint, although after the second outrage some constables came out to see the scene of the outrage; and whether any steps have been taken, or are contemplated, to bring to justice the perpetrators of these outrages?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY, Newcastle-upon-Tyne)My attention had not been 569 drawn to this case. I now, learn, however, that no injury was done to the house of the farmer referred to on either of the dates mentioned in the question, but on the 18th February and again on the 10th March some panes of glass were broken and a web of fabric injured, the entire damage being estimated at a couple of shillings. One person has been made amenable for the offence, and will be tried at Petty Sessions on the 8th of April, and the District Inspector of Constabulary tells mo there is not the slightest ground for suggesting that there is anything of a party or religious complexion in the case.