§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin County, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether on the 19th August last the Roman Catholic Young Men's Association of Portadown communicated with the local police authorities with a view to their affording protection to a body of Roman Catholics who proposed to go on an excursion to Bundoran on the 26th of that month; whether a similar communication was made on the '25th August, 1900, to the Under Secretary, Dublin Castle; whether any special protection was in consequence accorded to the excursionists referred to on the last-mentioned date, when several of them were brutally assaulted and injured; whether on the 22nd September, 1900, the Roman Catholic Association wrote complaining of the failure to give the protection called for, and making certain suggestions for the future preservation of the peace in Portadown; whether any answer, other than a mere acknowledgment of the receipt of the communication of the 22nd September, has ever been given to the association; will he explain why the last two appeals to the Castle from the association, including a letter to the right hon. Gentleman himself, have been left without any answer; and whether he will lay the correspondence upon the Table.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe answer to the first and second paragraphs is in the affirmative. Special precautions were taken to afford protection to the excursion on the 26th August; it is much to be regretted, however, that an attack was made on the party when it was leaving in the morning which resulted in injuries to several persons, and also when the party was returning at night. Many persons were prosecuted for participating in the disturbances; seven were imprisoned for terms varying from fourteen days to two months, two were bound to the peace, and thirty-five were fined. The letter of 22nd September was duly acknowledged, and towards the end of January I myself received a similar communication from the association. These communications received my own personal attention, and careful inquiries satisfied me that everything was being done to preserve the peace, and that 737 there was no foundation whatever for the charges of partiality preferred by the association against the resident magistrate and district inspector. I do not propose to lay the correspondence on the Table.
§ MR. CLANCYAs a matter of fact, was there any increase of the police force on that occasion?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI do not think that that quite arises out of the question. I have admitted that the force was inadequate, and have stated that steps are being taken to secure adequate protection in the future.
§ MR. CLANCYBut the right hon. Gentleman said special protection. I want to know if a single extra man was put on.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe question does not ask how many extra men were put on.
§ MR. CLANCYI ask that now.
§ [No answer was returned.]
§ MR. CLANCYWill the right hon. Gentleman say why he took no notice of two letters addressed to him?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI have said that their receipt was acknowledged and that I gave my personal attention to the matter.