§ Mr. DEVLINI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant for Ireland whether it is a fact that on Saturday last 5,000 armed men, with five machine guns, marched through the main streets of the city of Belfast; whether these men were members of the Ulster Volunteers, whose object is to prevent the operation of constitutional law in Ulster; whether General Macready, the military magistrate, was in Belfast on Saturday; whether any orders were given to the police or to the military to hold up the Ulster Volunteers, and to demand the surrender of their rifles and machine guns; and, if not, why not; whether it is a fact that the police stopped the traffic and kept the streets clear for the march of the Ulster Volunteers; and whether, and if so, what reason can be assigned for the differential treatment by the authorities of the Ulster Volunteers in Belfast, as compared with their action in regard to the Irish Volunteers in Dublin yesterday?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt is the fact that on Saturday last 5,000 armed men or thereabouts, with five machine guns, marched through the main streets of the city of Belfast. These men were members of the Ulster Volunteers. General Macready was in Belfast. No orders of any kind were given to the police to hold up the Volunteers or to demand the surrender of their rifles and machine guns. It is not a fact that the police stopped the traffic and kept the streets clear for the march of the Ulster Volunteers. I think that the answer which I have already given to the hon. and learned Member for Waterford (Mr. John Redmond) answers the latter part of the hon. Member's question.