§ MR. O'DOHERTYTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the remarks addressed by Mr. Dunsterville, R.M., to the justices of the peace associated with him at the hearing of certain cases at a special court of petty sessions held at Strabane on the 27th February last; and will he state what action he intends to take in the matter.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The hon. Member has privately informed me that the date mentioned in the Question is a misprint for the 27th January. I have communicated with the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Dunsterville, who states there was no petty sessions or court of any kind at Strabane on that date. If the hon. Member intended to refer to the proceedings at these petty sessions on the 17th and 18th February, when a number of persons were charged with riot, I can only say that I have read what purports to be a verbatim report of these proceedings published in a local newspaper, and do not find that Mr. Dunsterville used language which could be held to reflect on his fellow magistrates. He assures me that he harboured no intention of the kind.