§ Mr. LONSDALEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a number of grazing farms in county Roscommon cannot be used by their occupiers because of the intimidation and unlawful interference with their user organised by the United Irish League; whether he is aware that it is publicly asserted in the district that the Government approve of the methods of the League; and whether, seeing that the object of this action is to force the sale of the grazing farms for distribution among members of the League, the Estates Commissioners will be instructed not to purchase any lands in regard to which intimidation has been practised to force a sale.
§ MR. CHERRYI am informed that there are a number of grazing farms in county Roscommon at present unoccupied,
† See (4) Debates, clxix., 311,562.498 and I regret to say that there is reason to believe that, in some of those cases at all events, this result is due to unlawful interference by crowds of people who have driven cattle off the lands. I have no information that it has been publicly asserted that the Government approve of methods of intimidation, an assertion which would be quite contrary to the fact. The real facts are that prosecutions have boon instituted in every case where intimidation has been reported and whore evidence is forth-coining, and that full police measures have been taken for the protection of the occupiers of grazing farms in the exercise of their legal rights. As regards the concluding part of the Question, I would refer to the Answer given by my right hon. friend to the Question put by the hon. Member for the Oswestry Division on 14th May. ‡
§ MR. BYLES (Salford, N.)May I ask whether the intimidation and unlawful interference spoken of is properly described in the evening newspapers as "Terrorism in Ireland"?
§ MR. CHERRYThat is a matter of opinion.
§ [No Answer was returned.]