Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that twenty men were returned for trial at Westport on the 2nd March last for riot and unlawful assembly in connection with an attack made on the actors of the play known as "General John Regan," and on the police, some of whom were seriously wounded; whether he is aware that the newspapers published in county Mayo expressed their approval of the action of the rioters, and that defence funds were got up for the defendants; will he say whether many of the defendants are members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; whether, seeing that the trial was postponed at the Castlebar Assizes last March, he will say 1708W whether these defendants have yet been tried; and, if not, when and where will their trial take place?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer to the first paragraph of the question is in the affirmative. A public fund for the defence of these men has been instituted, and reports of meetings at which the fund was advocated have been published in the local newspapers. I have no information as to whether the defendants are or are not members of the society referred to. The case has been adjourned to the next Assizes for the county of Mayo, when it is intended that the trial of the accused shall take place.