§ SIR F. BANBURY (City of London)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the publication of resolutions passed by branches of the United Irish League in Galway, Sligo, and Roscommon, naming certain persons as worthy of censure; whether such publication is calculated to intimidate those of His Majesty's subjects specified in the resolutions; and whether he will take immediate steps to prevent the publication of such resolutions in future.
§ (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The publication of resolutions such as the hon. Baronet refers to is a very old story in Ireland. Opinion differs considerably as to the amount of intimidatory effect produced by such publication, which, however, is none the less to be deprecated. It is not proposed to take any steps in the matter at present.
§ MR. JOHN RUTHERFORD (Lancashire, Darwen)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on 27th May three farms on the Ryan Estate at Thomastown were raided by a crowd consisting of several hundreds of persons, whether he will state the amount of damage then done, and how many constables were on duty to protect these estates; whether traders in the district who have hitherto supplied the police with goods have been threatened with the boycott; and whether any traders have on this account refused to supply goods to the police.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) It is the fact that a crowd of persons drove the
† See page 087.814 cattle off the three farms mentioned, and took them in each case to the owners residence. No injury was done to the cattle or the farms. The acts were witnessed by two policemen. Twelve persons have been prosecuted for the offence and returned for trial at the assizes. It is the case that several local traders have refused to supply the police with goods.