MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI have to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether Messrs. P. J. O'Keefe and E. T. Keane, manager and editor respectively of the Kilkenny People, were arrested yesterday morning in their office; whether the offence charged was the publication in their paper of the proceedings of a public meeting; when was the offence committed; under what Act were they arrested and charged; and why the ordinary course of proceeding by summons was departed from in this case.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURIt is a fact that Messrs. P. J. O'Keefe and E. T. Keane, proprietors of the Kilkenny People newspaper, were arrested yesterday. They are charged with publishing a notice pur-porting to be a report of the proceedings of the Mullinahone branch of the United Irish League and advocating the boycotting of Barton Brothers. The newspaper containing the notice was dated 2nd June, 1900. The prosecution is under one of the Whiteboy Acts (1 and 2 Will. IV., c. 44). The defendants were, on the advice of the Attorney General, arrested on warrants grounded on sworn informations, that being the most expedient mode of procedure under the circumstances. No unnecessary inconvenience was indicted on the accused, who were admitted to bail.
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENIn consequence of that answer, I ask leave to move the adjournment of the House for the purpose of calling attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance—namely, the arbitrary arrest on warrant of Mr. Patrick J. O'Keefe, and Mr. E. T. Keane, manager and editor respectively of the Kilkenny People newspaper, for having published the proceedings of a public meeting, instead of the institution of proceedings against them by summons, as is usual in the case of press offences.
§ MR. SPEAKERIf the hon. Member will read the Sessional Order as to the last two days of Supply he will find that on those two days no such motion can be accepted.
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENIf there is no other opportunity of bringing this matter before the House I will do so on the Appropriation Bill.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! This is not the time for making a speech.