HC Deb 15 May 1905 vol 146 cc301-2
MR. ROCHE (Galway, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at a public meeting held at Cappatagle, county Galway, on Sunday the 7th instant, the Member for that Division, while addressing his constituents, was dragged and pulled about by the police; and whether they were authorised to do so without serving him with a copy of the proclamation or giving him any notice that the meeting was proclaimed before he commenced to address his constituents.

MR. WALTER LONG

The proclamation in the case of this meeting was issued on the 6th May. Copies of it were extensively placarded in the districts and served on the promoters and many other persons likely to attend the meeting. An unsuccessful attempt was made to serve a copy upon the hon. Member at Woodford. On the following day he endeavoured to address a meeting, notwithstanding the proclamation, which was known to everyone in the locality. The county inspector, I believe, handed him a copy, and, according to a newspaper report which I have seen, the hon. Member "tore the copy and threw the fragments on the road." The police were authorised to prevent any meeting, and in carrying out their instructions no violence whatever was used towards the hon. Member.

MR. DILLON

Are we to understand that it is lawful for the police in Ireland to seize a Member of this House and drag him about, using violence when no resistance is offered?

MR. WALTER LONG

I am informed that no violence was used. If the police had instructions to prevent the meeting, their duty was obviously to prevent it.

MR. ROCHE

As the Member for the Division, may I be permitted to state that I was collared by two policemen——

MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)

rose, as if to a point of order, his rising being followed by loud and continued cries of "Sit down," "Order," and "Name" from the Nationalist Benches.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER

intervened, and in response to Nationalist cries of "A personal explanation," said: The hon. Member must put his personal explanation in the shape of a Question.

MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)

On the point of order, may I ask whether, where an Answer such as that of the right hon. Gentleman is given, directly contravening the statement of an hon. Member as to his own action in his own constituency, it is not the invariable practice of the House to allow the hon. Member to make a personal explanation?

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER

If the hon. Member will postpone his explanation to the conclusion of Questions, I have no doubt that the House will listen to him. There are a number of Questions on the Paper still to be answered, and it would be most unfair to shut them out by the hon. Member's personal explanation.

MR. KILBRIDE (Kildare, S.)

Was a copy of the proclamation served on the hon. Member for East Galway previous to the meeting or after the hon. Member had been dragged along the road by the police?

MR. WALTER LONG

I am told that every effort was made to serve the hon. Member before the meeting; and I am also informed that before the meeting took place the proclamation was visible in that part of the district. Whether the police were successful or not in serving the proclamation is not a matter of importance, because, as hon. Members know, the police have power to prevent a meeting from being held, whether it has been proclaimed or not.