No. 102.
Mr. Lowell
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
London, January 30, 1882.
(Received February 13.)
No. 300.]
Sir: Referring to Mr. Blaine’s instruction No. 285,
of the 9th of December last, I have the honor to acquaint you that
immediately after its receipt I addressed a letter to Lord Granville,
stating the fact of Mr. Dennis H. O’Connor’s naturalization as an American
citizen, his arrest and imprisonment by the British authorities in Ireland,
and the probable result to his health of his continued incarceration. I
requested to be informed as to the grounds upon which he had been arrested
and imprisoned.
On the 30th of December, Sir J. Pauncefote, in the absence of Lord Granville,
informed me that he had referred my inquiries to the proper department of
Her Majesty’s Government, and to-day I have received a further communication
from his lordship stating the grounds of Mr. O’Connor’s arrest, and that the
lord lieutenant of Ireland would cause inquiry to be made with the view of
considering whether the prisoner could now be discharged without danger to
the peace of the district.
I inclose a copy of my correspondence with Lord Granville on this
subject.
It is proper for me to add that this Dennis O’Connor is the same person about
whom I wrote to the Department of State in dispatch No. 194, of the 4th of
June last, to which I venture to call your particula attention.
I have, &c.,
[Page 193]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 300.]
Mr. Lowell to Lord
Granville.
Legation of the United States,
London, December 23,
1881.
My Lord: I have received to-day from Mr. Blaine
a dispatch stating that Mr. P. C. O’Connor, of Baltimore, Md., has
informed the Department of State that his brother, Mr. Dennis H.
O’Connor, a naturalized American citizen, has, without cause, been
arrested and imprisoned by the British authorities in Ireland on
suspicion of being in sympathy with the Irish National Land League.
Mr. Blaine incloses a copy of the certificate of the naturalization of
Dennis H. O’Connor, and also a letter from P. C. O’Connor, above
mentioned, by which it appears that the said Dennis went to Ireland
about four years ago and engaged in general drapery business in
Charleville, in the county of Cork, under the firm name of O’Connor
& Molony, and in Kilmarnock, Limerick County, under the firm name of
D. H. O’Connor & Co. It is further stated that his incarceration, if
continued, may prove fatal, as his health is not good, and may also
injure him financially, as he is at the head of the two business
establishments, with all his means at present in the hands of strange
clerks and salesmen.
Under these circumstances, Mr. Blaine instructs me to bring this subject
to the attention of your lordship, with the request that I may be
informed as to the grounds upon which Mr. O’Connor was arrested and
imprisoned.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 300.]
Sir Julian
Pauncefote to Mr. Lowell.
Foreign
Office, December 30,
1881.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 23d instant, requesting, on behalf of your
government, to be informed as to the grounds upon which Dennis H.
O’Connor was arrested and imprisoned by the British authorities in
Ireland; and I have the honor to acquaint you, in reply, that I have
referred your application to the proper department of Her Majesty’s
Government.
I have, &c.,
In the absence of Earl Granville,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 300.]
Lord Granville to
Mr. Lowell.
Foreign
Office, January 26,
1882.
Sir: With reference to my letter of the 30th
ultimo, I have the honor to acquaint you that Her Majesty’s secretary of
state for the home department has forwarded to me a copy of a
communication which he has received from the lord lieutenant of Ireland,
in which the latter states that Dennis Hayes O’Connor was arrested on
the 22d of October last under his excellency’s warrant, issued pursuant
to the “protection of person and property (Ireland) act, 1881,” on the
ground that he was reasonably suspected of inciting to intimidation
against the payment of rent. His excellency proceeds to state that he
has no reason to doubt the propriety of the arrest, but will, however,
cause inquiry to be made with the view of considering whether the
prisoner could now be discharged without danger to the peace of the
district. I shall not fail to communicate to you anything further which
I may hear upon the subject.
I have, &c.,
