§ MR. HUGH LAW (Donegal, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to a letter of the Protestant rector of Ballyclog, Stewartstown, in which that gentleman states that for the past ten years his church and himself have been boycotted all round, the church windows being broken on two occasions, his sheep and cattle chased and killed, his crops ruined, and himself made the victim of many other persecutions too numerous to mention, and this because he has refused to join the Orange Society; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ MR. BIRRELLMy attention has been called to the letter in question, which was published in a newspaper. The police authorities inform me that the outrages of which the letter complains are purely imaginary.
§ MR. KETTLEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of other letters from this Protestant clergyman, in which he charges the local police with being under the control of the local Orange Lodge?
§ MR. BIRRELLI have looked into this matter, and I can assure the hon. Gentleman I do not think any advantage is to be obtained by pursuing the subject any further.