§ MR. DOOGANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the frequency of the Orange riots which have taken place in Cookstown without any person having been made amenable; whether he is aware that an Orange mob attacked a number of police on the 11th August last, and that no proceedings were taken, although some of the police were maimed for life; that a similar mob wrecked a number of Roman Catholic houses on the 19th of October last, for which damage compensation had to be paid, and that no one was prosecuted for riotous conduct; and that on the 12th April last another riot took place, when the police were stoned, and two of them wounded; whether the official reports show that this riot might have been prevented by an earlier attendance of the 773 officer in charge of the police, and by directing his men to take precautions to prevent the opposing parties from coming into collision: and whether he will take steps to prevent the recurrence of these outbreaks.
§ MR. WYNDHAMOne policeman was injured on the 11th of August, but not maimed for life. No houses were wrecked on the second occasion in October, though considerable damage was done to windows. It was impossible to institute proceedings in connection with either of these occurrences, as the actual stone-throwers could not be identified, and no overt act could be proved against any person. With regard to the riot on the 12th April, fourteen persons have been sent for trial to the next Assizes. The official reports show that every precaution against disturbance on this occasion was taken by the district inspector, who so disposed of his men as to prevent an actual collision between the parties, the result being that the police were stoned by both sides. Every effort will be made to prevent the recurrence of such outbreaks.
§ MR. FLAVINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of any cases in the south of Ireland where Catholics have attacked Orangemen?
§ [No answer was returned.]