13. Mr. F. HALL (Dulwich)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if his attention has been called to the recent defacing of a statue erected at Cork to the memory of Irishmen who fought for Great Britain in the Boer war; and if any steps have been taken to trace the perpetrators of this and similar outrages committed in, other parts of Ireland recently?
§ Major ARCHER-SHEEBefore this question is answered may I ask if there 1265 is not a mistake in it? Those soldiers laid down their lives for Great Britain and Ireland?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI cannot quarrel with the language in which questions are addressed to me. My business is to answer them. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a somewhat similar question asked by the hon. Member for the Enfield Division on the 24th March. The police are not aware of any more recent occurrences of this nature in any part of Ireland.
Mr. F. HALLMay I ask if this is another one of the expressions of sympathy which we shall probably have after the passing of the Home Rule Bill?
14. Mr. RONALD N'NEILLasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a highway robbery was committed near Abbeyfeale, in county Limerick, on the morning of 2nd April, and that the local postman was stopped on the road by two disguised men carrying rifles and robbed of all the money for old age pensions which he was carrying; and whether any arrests have been made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLA robbery of the nature referred to occurred on the morning of the 3rd April near Abbeyfeale, but the mail bag has since been recovered intact. The police have the matter in hand, but have not yet sufficient evidence to justify an arrest.
§ 15. Mr. RONALD M'NEILLasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that a number of gates on the land of Mr. Pierce at Tacumshane were knocked down and destroyed by some person on the night of 1st May or the early morning of 2nd May; what is the reason for this action; and what steps have been taken to find the offenders?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed that five gates on the lands of Mr. Pierce were broken on the dates named and removed from their hinges. I have no information as to the motive which inspired this occurrence. The police are pursuing their inquiries, but so far have not obtained sufficient evidence to justify any arrests.
§ 16. Mr. RONALD M'NEILLasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a shooting outrage was committed in the Bawnmore district of the county Galway on the evening of 31st March, when a man, proceeding home near Bawnmore, was fired at and wounded; and whether any arrests have been made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt is a fact that a man named Bernard Ward was fired at and wounded in the leg with five grains of shot on the night of the 30th March. The matter was not reported to the police and the injured man would give them no information to assist them in their inquiries. So far, no person has been made amenable.
§ Mr. R. M'NEILLCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the man was seriously injured or not?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI should consider five grains of shot in the leg somewhat serious, but I am glad to be able to say he stands in no danger of having a long indisposition.
§ Mr. REMNANTWe are constantly hearing of no arrests having been made; are special attempts made to inquire into the matters?
§ Mr. BIRRELLYes, most active attempts are made.
§ Mr. J. WARDDo you make similar attempts in the case of gun-runners?
§ 17. Mr. R. M'NEILLasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that at the fair of Crossmolina, on 8th April, a number of men armed with sticks and making a great noise, endeavoured to terrorise Edward Barrett and his brother Richard; if he will state for what reason these two men were subjected to this intimidation; and what steps are being taken to afford them protection?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed by the police that Edward Barrett was the object of a hostile demonstration on the occasion referred to, but not his brother. The reason is believed to be a misunderstanding about the letting of certain land. Fifteen persons were arrested in connection with the occurrence, and four of them have been bound over to be of good behaviour, and the remainder were discharged. Mr. Barrett will be afforded all necessary protection by the police.
§ Mr. R. M'NEILLDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that this was the result of an honest misapprehension?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir, I do not.
§ 18. Mr. R. M'NEILLasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the disturbances at the chapel at Ballybricken on 15th April; whether they arose from dissatisfaction with the distribution of land by the Estates Commissioners on the Roche Kelly estate; and 1267 what steps are being taken to afford protection to those against whom the demonstration was made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLMy attention has been called to this matter, and I understand that these disturbances were due to dissatisfaction with the distribution of certain land by the Estates Commissioners on the estate referred to. Thirteen of the principal offenders were arrested and have been returned for trial at the next Assizes. The surrounding police stations have been strengthened by fourteen extra men, and all necessary protection will be afforded to those requiring it.
§ Mr. R. M'NEILLCan the right hon. Gentleman state the grounds on which these people were attacked?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAnybody who has any knowledge of the distribution of land in those districts knows it is exceedingly difficult to avoid dissatisfaction.
§ Mr. REMNANTThe right hon. Gentleman referred to a Land Bill just now. Is it proposed to introduce that Land Bill this Session?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat is a question of which I should like notice.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will take steps to see that in future when the Estates Commissioners are dividing untenanted lands that the inspectors take into consideration the local feeling in the districts to see that popular applicants should get these lands?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI can assure the right hon. Gentleman that local feeling predominates very largely in the distribution of any land.
§ 20. Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary whether Canon Gerahty has possession of the Skahard farm on the Pollock estate, county Gaway; and will he say how many drives, or attempted drives, there have been of cattle from this farm, and whether there have been any other disturbances in connection with the farm on this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. With regard to the remainder of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Enfield on 30th April.
§ 21. Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a crowd of men were met by the police on the morning of 29th April at Loughrea driving stock, and that as a result of the meeting a conflict between the police and the crowd followed; how many police were injured in such conflict; and what punishment has been inflicted upon the men concerned in the outrage?
§ Mr. BIRRELLA mob of about forty people armed with sticks, who were driving sheep off a farm near Loughrea, were intercepted by a force of ten police, and as they refused to desist and assumed a threatening attitude, a baton charge was ordered and the mob dispersed. The district inspector received a severe scalp wound, and nearly all the police engaged were injured, but not seriously. Fourteen persons have been returned for trial to next Assizes in connection with the affair.
§ Mr. W. THORNECan the right hon. Gentleman tell us what is the cause of this cattle driving?
§ Mr. BIRRELLDissatisfaction with the distribution.
§ Mr. J. WARDCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us how baton charges were made on those who break the law in these cases and not in others?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThey are rather different. Here there were ten policemen against forty men, and in the case to which I think the hon. Gentleman refers there were two policemen against 800 men.
§ 22. Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that an armed attack was made upon a police patrol at Cleggan, in county Galway, on the 1st May; that the police patrol of three constables was fired on from behind a wall on the public road, and the constables returned the fire from their rifles; and whether any arrests have been made or anyone made amenable?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Enfield on the 7th instant, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONMay I ask whether, in point of fact, any arrests have been made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir, not so far.
§ 24. Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that an armed attack was made on the house of Timothy Casey, near Hollymount, in county Mayo, on the night of 19th April, when three gun shots were fired at the bedroom window when the inhabitants were asleep; whether the windows were broken by pellets of shot; and whether any arrests have been made or anyone made amenable?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe police authorities inform me that on the night of the 19th April three gun shots were fired into the house of Timothy Casey. Two of the shots were fired at the kitchen window, the room being unoccupied at the time, and the other shot was fired at the window of the bedroom occupied by his eldest son—a pane of glass was broken, but no other injury was done. So far no person has been made amenable.