§ MR. D. MACALEESE (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary I to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Orangemen of Bessbrook, at the hour of 1 o'clock a.m., on the 2nd July, marched through the streets of the village, playing party music and indulging in coarse party expressions; that they broke windows in the houses of several Roman Catholic inhabitants of the village; that they halted opposite the Roman Catholic Church and Presbytery, and finally fired a volley of stones at these buildings; whether, seeing that the village of Bess-brook contains a population of 4,000 inhabitants, and is entirely unprotected by constabulary, the nearest police station being two miles distant, he will cause investigations to be made with a view to establish in this village a properly equipped police barrack for the safety of its inhabitants; have memorials extensively and influentially signed, both by Protestants and Catholics, been forwarded to Dublin Castle praying for the establishment of such a barrack; and, on what grounds has this request not been complied with?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI am informed that there was a demonstration at Bessbrook on the night of the 1st July, in the course of which party music was played and party expressions were used. Two panes of glass in the houses of Roman Catholics and three panes in the Roman Catholic Chapel and Presbytery were also broken on the occasion, the amount of damage done being estimated at about seven shillings. Memorials have been received from time to time in favour of he establishment of a police barrack at Bessbrook; but hitherto it has not been considered necessary to station police in the village, in consequence of the facilities for patrolling it afforded from Camlough and Newry, which are only two and three miles distant respectively; and because, also, of the general peacefulness of the inhabitants of Bessbrook and its freedom from crime. At present I see no sufficient reasons for altering the decision previously arrived at in this respect; but I will look further into the matter, and see whether the requirements 1424 of Bessbrook are adequately met by existing arrangements.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONAs regards the freedom of the district from crime, is it not the fact that there are no public-houses in the district?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI believe there is no public-house there.
§ MR. MACALEESEAm I to understand that the breaking of the windows of the Catholics is to be attributed to the fact that there are no public-houses in that part of the country? [Laughter.]
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have no reason to believe that. [Laughter.]
§ MR. MACALEESEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a report from the Constabulary at Camlough or Newry, or from any other source, to the effect that on Sunday the 12th July instant certain Orangemen cursed the Pope at the Catholic church in Bessbrook, and used offensive language to females who were there; also that three Orangemen, on Monday the 13th July instant, fired shots at a Catholic named O'Hanlan; and, have any arrests been made in connection with these outrages?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am making inquiry into the occurrences alleged in this. Question, and will thank the hon. Member to postpone it until Thursday next.