§ MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the issue of a notice on behalf of the Protestant Association in reference to an Orange service held on Sunday last at the Steps, Belfast, to be addressed by the chaplain of Loyal Orange Lodge 1028, Brother Arthur Trew, who was recently returned for trial by the Crown, and do the Government intend to change the venue, as in the Waterford and Sligo cases.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.The reply to the first question is in the negative. The notice does not contain any reference to, and apparently has no bearing upon, the pending case. The circumstances of Trew's case are mot similar to those of the other cases to which the question refers. Should they unfortunately become so in the future, his case will be dealt with on precisely the same principles as the others.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYDo I understand the right hon. Gentleman to state that his attention has not been called to the notice?
§ MR. ATKINSONIt has been called.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYThen does the right hon. and learned Gentleman think Belfast a fit place to try this man next week, just after the Orange Anniversary?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)Is Mr. Trew correctly described as the chaplain of the Lodge?
§ MR. ATKINSONThe notice I have seen contains no reference to Mr. Trew.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYThen the right hon. Gentleman cannot have seen the notice referred to in the question, for it refers to Mr. Trew as the chaplain of the Loyal Orange Lodge.
§ MR. ATKINSONI telegraphed for, and obtained a copy of, the notice quoted in the question.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYThen it only shows how incompetent the right hon. Gentleman's advisers are.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That does not arise out of the question.