§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the proceedings at the Custom House steps in Belfast on Sunday 20th May, when a man named James Davies was killed in the course of a riot which sprang from those proceedings; whether he is aware that for many weeks language of a most provocative character has been used at the meetings held at these steps on Sunday afternoons, that charges of a most filthy character have been made against Roman Catholic nuns by a man named Ballantine, also that an attack on a Roman Catholic convent in Belfast was made by a mob the week before last; whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of the coroner of Belfast, at the inquest on Davies, that the evidence had shown that Mr. Ballantine was a man totally unfitted to preach the Gospel; that if there was one thing which would excite religious feeling and bitterness in the city it was the attack made on the nuns and the nunnery in the Cranlin Road; and, with reference to the statement made by Mr. Ballantine that the deaths were not registered, more insulting language could not have been used not only was immorality suspected, 86 but murder also; and also to the statement of the jury in their verdict that the authorities should take more active measures to preserve the peace at the Custom House steps on Sunday; and, what steps the Irish Government propose to take to put a stop to these incitements to violence. I desire further to ask the Chairman a question of which I have sent him private notice, viz., whether the language insulting to Catholic priests and nuns used on Sunday May 21 at the Custom House steps was repeated by Mr. Trew on last Sunday evening; whether there have been any serious disturbances in consequence; how many police were present last Sunday, and whether the right hon. Gentleman intends to draft extra police into Belfast for next Sunday.
*MP. G. W. BALFOURI have only just received notice of the additional Question just put to me by the hon. Gentleman. I am not aware whether the insulting language referred to was repeated last Sunday; and I do not think it necessary to provide extra police for next Sunday, neither can I say at the moment how many policemen were on duty last Sunday. In regard to the question on the Paper, my attention has been directed to the proceedings at the Custom House steps in Belfast on Sunday, the 21st, on which occasion a man named James Davies received injuries which resulted in his death the following day. The Government have received from the coroner copies of the depositions of the witnesses examined at the inquest held on Thursday last touching the death of Davies, and of the finding of the coroner's jury. The statements in the second and third paragraphs are substantially correct, except that, as regards the alleged attack by a mob on a Roman Catholic convent in Belfast, the police have no information of any such attack and have no reason to believe that such an attack was made. The depositions have only reached me today, and the question of taking further action is now under consideration.