HC Deb 03 March 1902 vol 104 cc185-6
DR. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been called to the fact that the owner of Rosturk Castle, Co. Mayo, is attempting to prevent the cottiers in the neighbourhood of Mallaranny from gathering seaweed along the foreshore; whether he is aware that these people have to go out in boats and cut the seaweed off the rocks or drag it off; and, whether, seeing that seaweed below high-water mark is the property of the Crown, he will prevent the prosecution of these people for taking it away. The hon. Member complained that the name of the owner of Rosturk Castle had been struck out at the Table.

* MR. SPEAKER

It was struck out because it was not in order to give it.

MR. ATKINSON

The owner of the property claims the right under grant from the Crown to the owner of this foreshore, and has successfully asserted that right, I believe, on several occasions. The Crown cannot interfere in these prosecutions in the manner suggested.

DR. AMBROSE

Is it not the fact that the seaweed under the low-water mark is the property of the Crown?

MR. ATKINSON

Prima facie it is.

DR. AMBROSE

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that Sergeant McGee, of Mallaranny, Co. Mayo, has gone into the houses of several persons in that district and threatened to prosecute them if they attempted to gather seaweed along the foreshore of the estate of the owner of Rosturk Castle: will he state at whose expense and why this sergeant has been doing this duty; and, if this sergeant acted without authority, will he see that his conduct is brought under the notice of the proper authority.

Mr. ATKINSON

Sergeant McGee while on patrol entered several houses and merely warned the parties for their own protection that they might expose themselves to the risk of proceedings at the suit of the landlord if they persisted in exercising this alleged right. He did not threaten to prosecute them or to interfere in any way with that dispute.

DR. AMBROSE

If I give the right hon. Gentleman the name of the people on whom the police called and whom they threatened to prosecute, will he further inquire?

MR. ATKINSON

I am informed that the police did not threaten to prosecute anybody.

DR. AMBROSE

Has not the right hon. Gentleman got his information from a partisan source, viz., the police?

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!