§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked whether the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been drawn to the proceedings at the last meeting of the Midleton Board of Guardians and District Council when Mr. C. J. Engledew, J.P., elected as an All-for-Ireland candidate for the district of Rostellan at the late elections, claimed the right to take his seat; whether he is aware that Mr. Bransfield objected to Mr. Engledew being heard, and by a majority of eleven to ten it was decided to refuse him a hearing; whether Mr. Engledew was informed that it was the chairman of the district council, who is father of Timon Murphy, an absconding official of the Board, who disqualified Mr. Engledew and Miss Mira Riordan, both of whom had been elected at the late elections, on the ground that they had not signed declarations of office within ten days after their election; whether the Local Government Board wrote a letter to the district council 1802 warning them that no disqualification arose unless the elected members received official notice of their election; that Mr. Engledew denied that he received any such notice; whether, notwithstanding the warning from the Local Government Board, the district council proceeded to co-opt in the room of the elected members, Mr. Engledew and Miss Riordan, two members of the Molly Maguire organisation; and whether any steps will be taken by the Local Government Board to enforce the law?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe Local Government Board inform me that the facts are generally as stated in the first two paragraphs of the question, but the Board do not know in which interest Mr. Engledew was a candidate at the election, or by whom the objection referred to in the question was made. The Board have no knowledge of the allegations made regarding the chairman of the council, but they understand that the ground of objection taken is correctly given by the hon. Gentleman. The Board did write a letter to the council substantially to the effect indicated. Mr. Engledew stated to the Board that the notice of election, although dated 2nd June, did not reach him till 6th July. On the 15th instant the co-option mentioned took place, and in the circumstances the Board consider it is for Mr. Engledew and Miss Riordan to take such steps as they may be advised to establish their claim to act as members.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENasked if the right hon. Gentleman is aware that the house of Mrs. Riordan, mother of Miss Mira Riordan, who was elected a member of the Midleton rural district council for the district of Cloyne at the late elections, has been wrecked by persons belonging to an organisation styling themselves Molly Maguires; that an old woman who looked out while the outrage was going on had her windows broken and her life threatened if she told the names of the perpetrators; and that it was proved at the late East Cork election petition trial that in the same neighbourhood the house of two unprotected ladies named O'Neill was attacked by a mob headed by a Poor Law officer named Timon Murphy, was was reported by the election judges for treating and corrupt practices, and who subsequently decamped as a swindler of public funds, and that an effigy of one of the ladies was burned under peculiar circumstances, which were denounced by the court as unmanly and revolting; whether 1803 anybody has been prosecuted in connection with these outrages; and whether instructions will be given to the police to take steps to put an end to this war upon women and to the condition of terror which prevails in the district?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe Inspector-General informs me that on the night of the 27th June the windows of an unoccupied house, the property of Mrs. Riordan, were broken, apparently by a stick. The people in the adjoining houses heard the glass being broken about 2 or 3 a.m., but they deny having seen any person about at the time. On the same night two panes were broken in a window of a tenement house belonging to Mrs. Riordan and occupied by an old woman, who states that she does not know who broke them, and it does not appear that her life was threatened in any way. The amount of damage done was about £2, and no claim for compensation has been made. In December last the local band, headed by Timon Murphy, who was then relieving officer, paraded the streets and burnt an effigy of one of the Misses O'Neill. Timon Murphy has since left Cloyne. The Misses O'Neill have not been interfered with in any way since. The police are making every effort to procure evidence in connection with the injury to Mrs. Riordan's property, but so far without success. Apart from some little local political feeling the district is exceedingly well ordered and peaceable.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENWill the right hon. Gentleman's informant contradict the following statement of the lady guardian, Miss Riordan, as to the attack made upon her mother's house which appears to be so insignificant in the eyes of the right hon. Gentleman's informant:—
They did not leave a single pane of glass unbroken in the back or front of the house. They broke the window panes, tore the slates off the roof, and all this within a stone's throw of the police barracks.May I ask how, under these circumstances, he can account for the fact that the police have taken no action whatever to bring the perpetrators of this outrage on a woman to justice?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe answer I have just made is an exact reproduction of the report of the police authorities upon the matter.
§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENI will ask the Chief Secretary if he will be kind enough to examine the recent promotions in the 1804 police, and to inquire for himself whether extensive promotions and rewards have not been granted to policemen who took part in prosecutions of "All-for-Irelanders"? [Interruption.] This is not a Molly Maguire convention. And if he will inquire, whether on the other side or not, policemen who have come into collision with the Molly Maguires—[Interruption.] —Hero are the Molly Maguires in full cry—have got any chance whatever of promotion?
§ Mr. LUNDONArising out of the answer, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that all this controversy has been caused by the descendant of Pierce Nagle, who is now the Member for the City of Cork?
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENUnder ordinary circumstances I should desire to avoid any discreditable scene, but I beg to ask you, Sir, as a question of order, whether, when a Member puts a legitimate question in this House, it is open to a Member behind to utter an insult of the most atrocious character, prompted by more considerable persons, and with the deliberate object of provoking discreditable scenes in this House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think the hon. Member will know I have done my best during the time I have occupied the Chair to discourage any of these questions which involve some personal reflection upon hon. Members. Hon. Members ought to be entitled to do their duty and to ask such questions and make such speeches as they think right without observations of a personal nature being made.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENI quite realise your difficulty in dealing with these matters, but I must ask you, having reference to the fact that this hon. Gentleman—I really do not know his name or his constituency —has repeated that this infamous insult is true, whether or not you will deem it your duty to call upon the hon. Gentleman to withdraw?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI cannot do anything further than I have done. I deprecate any of these questions and references as strongly as I can.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYMay I ask you, Sir, whether you understood the import of the question? It may not have caught your ears. I beg, Sir, to tell you what it was. The hon. Gentleman the Member for Cork asked a question with regard to the police, 1805 whereupon an hon. Gentleman behind him, whom I do not know, asked if the Government were aware that the Member for Cork was the descendant of one of the most blackguardly informers ever known in Ireland. He had nothing whatever to say of a Parliamentary character. It was purely an insult. Therefore, as it was intended purely as an insult, and had not even a pretence of reference to any Parliamentary proceeding, I wish to ask if that kind of thing is to be tolerated, because, if it is to be tolerated by the Speaker, we will not tolerate it?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI had not quite caught the purport of the question of the hon. Member. Perhaps now it has been made clear the hon. Member will see it is not a proper question to put?
§ Mr. LUNDONI am satisfied every word I uttered is absolutely true, and I have nothing to withdraw or to retract.
§ Mr. W. O'BRIENThen you are an infamous liar and scoundrel.