LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEMy Lords, I do not see the noble Lord the Lord Privy Seal in his place; but as some alarming accounts have recently come from my unhappy country, I wished to ask the Government, Whether they can give your Lordships some further information of the outrages which have taken place? It is reported that there have been two murders, of Mr. Bourke and a soldier who was protecting him, at Castle Taylor, Grand Gate, Ardrahan, Galway County; and three farmers have been shot in the legs—Michael Brown, at Rathglass, six miles from Ballina; Henry East, at Ballafarna, Roscommon County; and Cornelius Hickey, of Castle-island; thus, no less than five persons have been shot, and two of them are 622 reported to be dead. I wish to ask the Government, Whether they have any further information to give to the House; whether any arrests have been made; and; whether the Government attribute, or whether they think there is any relation between these murders and outrages and the Whitsuntide addresses of their hon. Friends, both out-of-doors and in "another place?"
§ EARL GRANVILLEI came into the House with my noble Friend the Lord Privy Seal, and I thought he was here; but he told me he had only just received Notice of the Question from the noble Lord, and that he had communicated with the Irish Office, but had not yet received any details.
§ Afterwards—
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEPerhaps the noble Lord will now answer the Questions which I, a short time ago, put to the Government.
§ LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRIVY SEAL)I am sorry I was not in my place at the time; but as I received the information only at the last moment, I had sent to the Irish Office to see whether any further details had arrived. I am sorry to say I can give your Lordships no, or little, further information with respect to these dreadful crimes in Ireland. It appears that Mr. Bourke and his escort, a soldier, were fired at from behind a wall, which was loop-holed for the purpose. This is the only news in addition to what has appeared in the papers. Death is believed to have been instantaneous in each case. It seems that three arrests have been made in respect to the murders of Mr. Bourke and his escort. The three other cases to which the noble Lord has referred are additional, and they are cases of maiming by firing at the legs, apparently for the purpose of maiming as distinguished from killing the victims. In one of these cases arrests have been made, but none in the other two at this moment.