§ MR. CHARLES CRAIG (Antrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has any official information as to the conduct of the police at an eviction at Rossmacowen, on the Clinton Estate, county Cork, some twelve months ago.
§ MR. WALTER LONGMy right hon. friend the Member for Dover replied to 976 a Question put to him on June 14th,† 1904, by the hon. Member for West Cork, relative to the action of the police at this eviction. I presume my hon. friend's Question has reference to a statement which was recently published in the Press to the effect that on the same occasion "men's heads were split with batons, women were violently assaulted, and a man was stabbed." I am informed that considerable opposition and resistance were offered to the sheriff and his assistants, all of whom were struck several times by missiles, and that an inmate of one of the houses used a pitchfork, which was wrenched from him by a sergeant of police. In the scuffle the man received a scratch on the cheek from one of the prongs of the fork; the injury was trifling. This is the only foundation for the statement to which I have referred, and which in other respects is absolutely and entirely untrue.
§ MR. FLAVINHow is it it has taken twelve months to get this remarkable information?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI have said my right hon. friend the Member for Dover dealt with it in 1904.
§ MR. MACVEAGHHow was the right hon. Gentleman able to read the thoughts of the hon. Member for South Antrim.?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI did not. I read what I gathered in the Press.