§ Mr. DEVLIN(by Private Notice) asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the published account to-day of the burning and destruction of house property in Tip-perary town involving one private dwelling-house, one boarding house, one house and shop, and five shops, as well as the smashing of the windows and the looting of a jeweller's store, or whether all the business places in the town were compelled to remain closed until midday yesterday, and in view of the later accounts to hand does he still persist in his statement that there is not a word 2070 of truth in the telegram from the town clerk of Tipperary that the town was being burned?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI have received a similar question from the right hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. Adamson), and I propose to answer both questions together. I have not seen any statement in the Press of the burning of property in the town of Tipperary on Tuesday. I have seen an account of the burning of a house in James Street on the evening of Monday, in which it was stated that the hose had been cut, and the fire was beyond control when the military fire brigade arrived. I stand by the statement I made in the House on Tuesday last, that there was no burning of property on that day. Last evening I received fresh reports confirming the previous report that there was no trouble of any kind in the town on Tuesday. As regards the closing of shops, I am informed that at the suggestion of the local police authorities, the shops in the town closed voluntarily out of respect to the murdered policemen whose funerals were being carried out. No threats or compulsion of any kind was used to induce this act of respect.
§ Mr. ADAMSONArising out of the reply, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the town clerk of Tipperary has confirmed the absolute truth of his previous telegram, and in view of the contradictory statement from Dublin Castle that on Tuesday Tipperary was perfectly quiet, will he have further inquiry made into this matter?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI will inquire, if the right hon. Gentleman wishes me to do so, but the town clerk's telegram was that Tipperary was being burned down on Tuesday last. Tipperary is still there.
§ Mr. ADAMSONIn view of the fact that the town clerk of Tipperary says that only part of Tipperary is there, and that that statement is in contradistinction to the information he has received from Dublin Castle, will the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiry?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI do not know what further inquiry I can make.
§ Mr. ADAMSONI will help you.
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI shall be very glad to have the assistance of the right hon. Gentleman in maintaining the pre- 2071 sent position of Tipperary, which, with the exception of four or five houses, is still there.
§ Mr. DEVLINIs it not a fact that when the right hon. Gentleman said that the statements made in the telegram were deliberate lies—
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI did not say that.
§ Mr. DEVLINDeliberate false hoods—
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI did not say that.
§ Mr. DEVLIN—I rose immediately afterwards, and recited to the House a list of nearly 10 shops either looted or burned, although the right hon. Gentleman slated that there was not a word of truth in the statement?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe speech the hon. Member made on the Motion for the Adjournment on Tuesday night dealt with burnings on Monday. The allegation made by the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Adamson), in speaking on the Adjournment, was an allegation based on a telegram from the Town Clerk of Tipperary, to the effect that Tipperary was in flames and being burned down on Tuesday.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHHe did not say that at all.
§ Mr. DEVLINHas the right hon. Gentleman got a copy of the telegram I Sent to him, and will he read it to the House? We can then see who is telling the truth about this matter. There was not a single word in it about Monday.
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThere is nothing in the telegram about Monday. The telegram dealt with Tuesday.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHIt did not; it was sent on Tuesday.
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI must leave it to the House.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think that we had better not continue this controversy.