§ MR. MACARTNEY (Antrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, seeing that no person has been made amenable in respect of the 34 cases of incendiary fires, the 13 cases of killing and maiming cattle, the 55 cases of threatening letters, and the 13 cases of injury to property which were reported in the six months ending 30th September, 1901, he will state what steps he proposes to take in these cases.
§ MR. DILLONBefore the Chief Secretary answers that Question, may I ask whether he has taken any steps to 534 ascertain how many of the 13 cases of cattle-maiming have been perpetrated by policemen?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM,) DoverI do not feel called upon to answer that Question. [Nationalist cries of "Sheridan."] In reply to the Question on the Paper, I have to say that my right hon. friend is misinformed. Persons were made amenable in two cases of incendiary fire, one of injury to cattle, one of threatening letter, one of injury to property; and also in 11 other cases of agrarian outrage reported in the six months mentioned, or 16 out of a total of 130 agrarian outrages during that period. In the year 1900, persons were made amenable in 40 cases of agrarian outrage, and in the years 1897, 1898 and 1899 the figures were 30, 38 and 41, respectively. I am fully satisfied with the zeal displayed by the police in the discharge of their detective duties. May I point out that the percentage of cases made amenable to the total of agrarian outrages, viz., more than 12 per cent., is but inappreciably lower than in such years as 1889 and 1890.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of these so-called incendiary fires are cases of arson on the part of the tenant in order to get high prices for the goods destroyed?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!