§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on Sunday, 5th March last, Mr. Trew, speaking from the Custom House steps in Belfast, advised the people to persevere in the conduct for which Johnson was imprisoned, and said that if they did so for three months longer they would starve Mr. Peoples out of Belfast, and that four policemen, numbered 363, 732, 592, and 329 were listening to this language; and whether the Government propose to prosecute Mr. Trew for such language?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts are substantially as stated in the first paragraph. The reply to the second paragraph is the same as that already given to the first Question put to me by the honourable Member, namely, that it has not been the practice of successive Governments to prosecute for incitements of this kind.
§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. Trew, on the 1st of January last, publicly declared that he would never stop till he had hounded out Mr. Peoples, and that "he hoped he would live to see him roasted alive," "that he deserved to be cut in pieces"; and why the police, who were present on the occasion, have taken no notice of such language publicly uttered? In putting this Question may I say that the language has been altered. No doubt it was un-Parliamentary, but 954 it was necessary to show the point of the Question, namely, did Mr. Trew say he "would never rest until he had hounded Mr. Peoples to hell?" Did he use that horrible language?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe police were present at the meetings addressed by Mr. Trew on the 1st of January, and carefully noted the language used by him, but their notes contain no evidence that he made use of the words attributed to him, or of words to the effect quoted in the Question.