§ *THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I have to apologise to the noble Marquess for asking another Question. I am afraid there is no doubt that within 158 the last two days there have been regrettable collisions in and near Dublin between bodies of troops and police on the one hand and on the other parties of Nationalist Volunteers engaged in gun-running operations somewhere in the neighbourhood of Howth. The first collision seems to have been followed by another collision of a more formidable description when the retiring troops were on their way through the streets of Dublin. We gather that the troops were severely stoned, and that they were finally driven to fire upon the mob and that several lives were lost and several people injured. I will not dwell upon the gravity and significance of such facts, but we should like to know whether they are facts and what is really the true account of these events. I should like particularly to hear front the noble Marquess what the force of troops employed upon this duty was. According to the newspapers three companies only of the Scottish Borderers, accompanied by a very small force of police, were employed for the purpose of stopping the landing of these arms. I should like to know whether that is the actual site of the force employed, and, if the noble Marquess is able to tell us, how it came to pass that the troops were ordered to fire upon the crowd.
*THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMy Lords, I will give the noble Marquess such information as I can upon the points upon which he has questioned me. Your Lordships saw the account of the landing of arms front a yacht at Howth on Sunday afternoon. Those arms were received by a body of men exceeding, it is supposed, a thousand in number who set off to march into Dublin through Clontarf. At Clontarf they were met by a body of the Dublin Police and 160 men of the King's Scottish Borderers. That, I think, replies to the noble Marquess's question as to numbers. The police tried to disarm the men in front, which they did after a struggle. There were some casualties. The casualties are stated as having been three Volunteers and two soldiers, one of whom was shot through the knee and the other through the ankle, and one policeman. The soldiers on that occasion did not fire. The soldiers then returned towards their barracks, and an attack was made on them with missiles by an excited crowd. There the command of the troops was taken over by Major Haig.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYHad he been sent for?
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEThat I am afraid I cannot tell the noble Marquess. He himself was struck several times by missiles, and he, from in front of the column, expostulated with the mob who were impeding some of the men. But he did not give any order to fire, and the firing which occurred took place without orders. I am certainly not prepared to say that the firing may not have been under a misapprehension that orders had been given from the head of the column to fire. That, however, will be the subject of an inquiry. The firing was stopped as soon as possible, but in the meantime three persons had been killed and thirty-two injured, while a number of the soldiers received severe injuries from missiles. So far as I am informed as to how all this came about, the Under-Secretary had asked the Assistant-Commissioner of Police to meet him at the Castle; and while at the Castle, where the Assistant-Commissioner had not arrived, news came that a large body of men had left Howth carrying the arms that had been landed. The Assistant-Commissioner did not come to the Castle, having gone off to consult the military officers. He expressed his regret that he was not able to stay and see the Under-Secretary. The Under-Secretary left instructions to be delivered, if possible, to the Assistant-Commissioner, directing him that in the opinion of Government—
the forcible disarmament of the men now marching into Dublin with these arms should not, in all the circumstances, be attempted, but the names of the men carrying arms should, as far as possible, be taken, and watch should be kept to ascertain the destination of the arms illegally imported. His Excellency cannot authorise any further steps in this matter at present.That information was never received by the Assistant-Commissioner of Police, who had requisitioned the military force on his own authority believing that the effect of these Nationalist Volunteers marching through the streets of Dublin would be detrimental to the public peace, and he was satisfied that the police would not be strong enough to keep order unless they were supported by an armed force of some sort. The Assistant-Commissioner has been suspended pending an inquiry into the circumstances of the case. That is all the information which it is possible to give the House at this moment.