Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention had been drawn to speeches delivered at demonstrations held in Cork, Enniscorthy, and other places in Ireland and England, on Saturday, 23rd November, in honour of three Fenian leaders who were executed for the murder of a police-constable in Manchester in 1867; whether he has read the statement made by Mr. Bulmer Hob-son to a gathering in Cork to the effect that nothing would satisfy the Irish people but the absolute and complete independence of Ireland and the establishment of an Irish Republic, and that the Irish Nationalists should arm themselves to secure this independence; whether he has seen a report of a speech delivered at Enniscorthy by Major M'Bride, an employé of the Dublin Corporation, in which he said it was the duty of the Irishmen of to-day to bring about absolute independence; whether he is aware that meetings in honour of these Manchester criminals were held at Manchester, Tipperary, and elsewhere; whether any policemen were present at the meetings in Cork and Enniscorthy; and, if so, whether notes were taken of the speeches delivered with a view to prosecutions for treasonable language?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELL (Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture, Ireland)My right hon. Friend, who is unavoidably absent, has asked me to reply. My right hon. Friend has seen newspaper reports of the speeches referred to. The Enniscorthy meeting was held indoors and no police were, therefore, present. The meeting at Cork was small and unimportant, and it was not considered necessary, to take a shorthand note of the proceedings. A prosecution in such a case, 2459 even if evidence were available, could only have the effect of giving notoriety to an obscure individual.
Captain CRAIGWhy is it apparently the policy of the Government to quash these statements as much as possible by not taking any action in the matter?
§ Mr. RUSSELLI do not know, but I think there are eases where it is better to ignore statements.