§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that since 1st March there have been three serious outrages of firing at and wounding in county Clare; and if he will state on what grounds the County Inspector of Clare reported to the Lord Chief Baron at the recent assizes that the condition of affairs in the disturbed area in Clare was steadily improving?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Inspector-General informs me that there have been two cases (not three) of firing at and wounding in county Clare since 1st instant. The County Inspector was justified by the statistics of offences committed since the last assizes in reporting that on the whole there was an improvement in the state of the county. There were twenty-three agrarian offences reported between winter Assizes, 1909, and spring Assizes, 1910, and only four in the corresponding period of this winter.
Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not a fact that at the assizes the judge with all the information before him, declared that the condition of this county was considerably improved, and was improving, and whether, in view of that, it is fair to call in question the opinion of the judge?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Lord Chief Baron certainly made the observation referred to by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. LONSDALEDid he not also state that the condition of crime in the county was very unsatisfactory?
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked whether on 12th March, at Bally-harrahan, in the Ruan district, about six miles from Ennis, a farmer named Patrick Ryan was fired at and hit in the right thigh, on the back of the right hand, and on the jaw; and whether anyone has been arrested in connection with this outrage?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe facts are as stated. One arrest has been made.
§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Chief Secretary if his attention has been called to the remarks of Mr. Justice Madden, at the Galway Assizes on Monday, based on the police reports, which showed there had been an increase of eighteen serious offences in one district, and five cases of firing into dwelling-houses, and particularly to the observations of the learned judge with reference to the five cases of sending threatening letters, as being the work of secret societies carrying on operations by means of outrage and intimidation; and whether, having regard to the failure of the police to obtain evidence in these cases owing to intimidation, he will state what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have seen a newspaper report of the charge of the learned judge. Every possible effort is being made by the police to counteract the work of the secret societies in Galway, which have recently been denounced by the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Diocese.