§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the names of the constables who threw Mr. Thomas Higgins, J.P., over a stone wall at Carrowkeel, on April 30th last.
§ MR. WALTER LONGI informed the hon. Member on Monday ‡ that Mr. Higgins was not thrown over a wall, but that he was merely pushed on by a constable. The name of this particular constable is not known; there were a considerable number of constables present, and several persons were moved on.
§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINOn my responsibility as a Member of this House, I affirm that Mr. Higgins was violently thrown over the wall; and that the information supplied to the right hon. Gentleman is incorrect. I saw the act.
§ MR. DELANY (Queen's County, Ossory)Do you know that Mr. Higgins' life would have been lost unless someone was at the other side of the wall to catch him?
§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINI saw this, and it was a brutal exhibition.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to supply accurate information?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI have no reason to suppose that my information is inaccurate.
§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINI hold to my statement that the information is inaccurate.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)After my hon. friend says he was present
† See Debates, cxxxvii, 170‡ See page 969.1404 and saw the incident, the right hon. Gentleman rises and states he still holds that his information is correct. I wish to ask whether that is in order?
§ MR. WILLIAM MOORE (Antrim, N.)Can this House try the issue?
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDIt is a question of the veracity of a Member.
§ MR. WILLIAM MOOREThat is an issue. [A NATIONALIST MEMBER: You are not at the Old Bailey.]
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERThis is the time for asking Questions, and not for making statements and contradicting them. The matter can be raised and thrashed out at a later stage.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThis is a question of impugning the personal testimony of a Member who says he saw the incident as he was present at the transaction.
§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINsaid unless he could raise the matter at the end of Questions he could not raise it at all, because a "blocking" notice prevented it being discussed.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERThe matter cannot be raised as one of privilege, but it may be discussed in Supply.
§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINthought that, as the Chief Secretary impugned his veracity, he should be allowed to state exactly what occurred.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.) rose to a point of order.
§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINI adhere to my statement, which is correct.