§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will state to the House under what statutes the Irish Government claim to have powers of quartering extra police in disturbed districts, and of charging the expenses of maintenance of those police on the inhabitants of the district; whether the Government have any powers under these statutes of circumscribing the district thus charged within the limits of the townland or borough which may happen to have been the scene of outrages; and, whether the Irish Government have any powers of exempting any of the inhabitants of the 1895 district from the charges levied for the maintenance of extra police?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. LAW)If the noble Lord will allow me, I shall answer the Question for my right hon. Friend. The statutes under which the Irish Government "have powers of quartering extra police" in such districts as may be found to require an additional force, and of charging half the cost of their maintenance on the inhabitants of those districts, are 6 & 7 Will. IV., c. 13; 2 & 3 Vict. c. 75; and 9 & 10 Vict. c. 97. They have also power under the same statutes of limiting the district thus charged to a barony, or even a townland, as may be found desirable. They have not, however, any power of exempting any of the inhabitants of the district so charged from liability to the consequent assessment.