CAPTAIN CRAIGTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to a speech delivered on Saturday, 25th April last, at a meeting of the Sligo Board of Guardians, by a Mr. John Gilmartin, chairman, in the course of which he stated that, as long as he lived he would keep that old shot until they shot Captain Bryan Cooper, High Sheriff of County Sligo; and what steps, if any, he intends to take to put a stop to such speeches at meetings of Nationalist county councils.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The words set out in the Question are quoted from a newspaper report of a speech stated to have been delivered by Mr. Gilmartin, but I have no information as to whether the report is correct or not. However foolish and objectionable the language quoted may be, it is obvious from the context that, if used, it was not used in a literal sense, and that fact must, I think, be clear to anyone who reads the report. The matter is not worthy of notice.