§ MR. DUFFY (Galway, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that a public meeting, summoned in the ordinary way, at a place called Cahererin, Athenry, county Galway, for Sunday last, was sought to be suppressed by the local district inspector; can he state whether a proclamation was issued on the occasion forbidding the meeting; and whether the police are entitled to exercise the power of suppressing meetings at their own will throughout the country.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe meeting referred to was announced to be held at Monatigue, and as the police had good reasons for believing that the object of the meeting was to intimidate the occupier of a particular holding, the Government decided that the meeting should not be permitted at this place. The promoters were warned to this effect. No proclamation was issued, as none was necessary. A meeting, which was not interfered with, was held elsewhere.
§ MR. DUFFYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a large number of tenants in this locality wished to prevent the sale by the Land Commission of a grazing farm over their heads to a big grazier?
§ MR. WYNDHAMThey could have taken no step more likely to defeat their object than to hold an intimidatory meeting in the neighbourhood.