§ MR. LONSDALE (Armagh, Mid.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in reference to the cattle drive which took place on the estate of Mr. Valentine Ryan at Thomastown, near Birr, King's County, on 27th May, the authorities were aware that the holders of the grass farms, John Gill, James Grennan, and Michael Hackett, had been written to by the Killyon Branch of the United Irish League to surrender these lands; if so, why adequate means were not adopted to prevent the forcible removal of the stock; and whether, seeing that the stock on these lands have been replaced, he will see that sufficient protection is afforded to prevent a repetition of the outrage.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe police authorities were aware that the three men named, as well as some twenty others in the district, had received letters requesting them to surrender their farms. These letters purported to come from the local branch of the United Irish League. My Answer to the hon. Member's succeeding Question deals with the matter of protecting grazing farms generally. In this particular case it was impossible to keep a large force of police stationed on every farm.