§ MR. O'CALLAGHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether he has received a Resolution passed by the Grand Jury of the North Riding of the county of Tipperary, at the late Assizes, requesting him to assist in relieving that Riding from a charge for maintaining 50 extra police, which in fact are not in existence; whether he his aware that the number of police in the North Riding does not exceed 326, whereas the ordinary police force provided for by Act of Parliament would amount to the number of 336;and, whether, if the facts above mentioned are correct, he will order measures to be taken to relieve the North 771 Riding of Tipperary from the burden of this extra charge?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHIn reply to the hon. Member I have to state that I have received the Resolution of the Grand Jury, and have made inquiry into the facts of the case. The nominal Parliamentary quota of the North Riding of Tipperary is now fixed at 332, besides which there is a considerable extra force still chargeable to the county, though it has been largely reduced of late years. The proportion which the number of men actually serving in the county, whether as Parliamentary quota or extra force, bears to the nominal strength of the force, must depend on the average number of vacancies in the Constabulary Force in the whole of Ireland. It is clear that no county is fairly entitled to a number of men actually serving within it in excess of the proportion. On inquiry I find that at the time of the passing of the Resolution of the Grand Jury the force actually serving in North Tipperary was 19 men below the number to which that county is entitled, and the Inspector General has in consequence directed 19 more men to be sent to the county. The question whether the time has come when the extra force of North Tipperary can be still further reduced must depend a good deal on the opinion of the magistrates of that county; and the Government will, of course, give careful consideration to any views that may be addressed to them by the magistrates on the subject.