§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that, on Saturday night, the 11th instant, Orange arches were put across William Street or Chapel Street, Portadown, where the Catholic Church and the priests' house are situated, a few yards from the church, to the annoyance of Catholics coming to church on Sunday, although nothing of the kind has been seen in the street for years; that there was yelling and horseplay on the night of the 11th and up till two o'clock the following morning opposite the church and presbytery; and that on Sunday night the mob increased in numbers and violence, cursing the Pope and thumping the doors of the Catholic houses, and breaking in the door of a Catholic widow's house to the terror of the woman and her daughter; whether any police were present on the occasion; will he say whether any arrests were made or any report furnished to the authorities, and whether but for the forbearance of the Catholics a serious riot might have taken place; whether he is also aware that in another Catholic quarter, namely, Marlay Street, on Sunday night, the 12th instant similar misconduct, accompanied with 1449 breaking of windows and stone throwing, took place without any provocation or retaliation on the part of the Catholics; whether he will explain why no policemen were to be found in the vicinity of these occurrences; and whether he will direct that the police shall take action to prevent the repetition of such occurrences in future, and especially of the erection of Orange arches beside the Catholic Church or in Catholic quarters.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The police authorities inform me that on the night of the 11th instant an Orange arch was erected in William Street, Portadown, in which street the Catholic Church and the priests' house are situated. The majority of the residents in that street are Protestants, and the part of the street where the arch was put up is exclusively occupied by Protestants; and it has been the usual custom to put an arch there. Police patrols were specially placed in the street on the 11th, 12th, and 13th instant. No such conduct as is referred to in the Question came under their notice, nor has any complaint of such conduct been received. It is the fact that on the night of the 12th a few panes of glass of the value of 1s. 6d. were broken in Marley Street, a Catholic quarter, but the police were unable to determine whether this incident was of a party character. No Orange arches were erected in Catholic quarters, and no complaint has been received heretofore respecting the arch usually erected in William Street. The police take all possible measures for preserving the peace on the occasion of these party celebrations, and in this case they appear to have done so with considerable success.