§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Is it a fact that the recently appointed petty sessions clerk for the districts of Dubek and Julianstown, in the county of Meath, H. D. O'Callaghan has been disqualified by His Excellency on account of his being over the age for applicants to fill such appointments; is it true that His Excellency, immediately on making this disqualification, issued a circular extending the limit of ago of the candidates to such positions to fifty years, so that H. D. O'Callaghan may be qualified to again compete for the vacancy; has he any objection to lay this circular upon the Table of the House; also copy of letter sent Mr. O'Callaghan with it; is this H. D. O'Callaghan the late sub-inspector of police in Drogheda who was identified in the recent Rue perjury case as having bribed Rue to become informer, as was proved in case tried at Dunleer Petty (Sessions, but dismissed on account of uncorroborated testimony, and for which Rue, on his ultimately being prosecuted for perjury, was, at the late assizes held at Dundalk, awarded nine months' imprisonment; did H. D. O'Callaghan resign, on pension, his position in the Force in order to compete for the position of petty sessions clerk; will he also state what pension he now enjoys as a retired officer of the Police Force; and was he not also, before he resigned, a candidate for a resident magistracy?
§ MR.TREVELYANMr. O'Callaghan was elected by the magistrates to the Clerkship of Petty Sessions for the Dubek and Julianstown districts; but His Excellency declined to confirm the appointment, as he was over 40 years of age. At the same time, His Excellency thought it advisable, with a view of securing the services of persons calculated, from their previous occupation, to 1964 possess a special knowledge of the duties of the office of Petty Sessions Clerk, that, under certain circumstances, the recognized limit of age should be extended to 50 years in the cases of magistrates, barristers, solicitors, and their clerks, and of retired Sub-Inspectors of Constabulary and Head Constables; and, accordingly, he issued a Circular on the subject to the magistrates in Petty Sessions throughout Ireland. I shall be happy to show a copy of the Circular to the hon. Member if he wishes to see it; but no copy of it was sent to Mr. O'Callaghan, nor was he written to on the subject. As Sub-Inspector of Constabulary, Mr. O'Callaghan was concerned in the case of the man Rue, who has recently been convicted of perjury at the prosecution of the Crown. Mr. O'Callaghan did not resign his office as Sub-Inspector; he was discharged; he had been non-effective since the 29th of March, and was pronounced by medical certificate to be no longer able to discharge the active duties of his office. His pension is £150 per annum. So far as I can ascertain, no application was made by Mr. O'Callaghan for a Resident Magistracy; certainly none has readied Lord Spencer.