§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Irish Government have, during the Easter recess, as promised, considered whether, in view of the fact, exhibited by official Returns for the mouth of February last—namely, that no agrarian crime against the person, against property, or against the public peace, had been reported during the month from any district of the county Sligo, no further charge in respect of extra police will be made upon any district in that county; whether any decision, and, if so, what, has been come to upon the question; whether the propriety of withdrawing from the county Sligo the Special Resident Magistrate and his expensive staff will be taken into consideration; and, whether the Irish Government will consider the propriety of withdrawing from Sligo and other counties, similarly free from any grave exceptional crime, the proclamations under the Crime Prevention Act which render the ratepayers of those counties, or of any district therein, liable to extra police and special burdens upon the ground of "the existence or apprehension of crime and outrage?"
§ MR. TREVELYANIn accordance with the promise given by the Government, the position of the county of Sligo with regard to the additional Constabulary stationed was specially inquired into and considered during the Recess; and the decision arrived at was that the number of police could not, with safety to the peace of the districts concerned, be reduced at present. The position of the Special Resident Magistrate and his staff is under consideration, with a view to rearrangement. The question of revoking proclamations for additional police is one which is kept constantly in view; and no opportunity is lost of revoking such proclamations when it is believed that it can be done with safety. Eleven such revocations have occurred within the past two months.