§ MR. PARNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, In reference to his statement that there are nine men of the extra constabulary force, the moiety of whose cost is not charged against the Cork Corporation as they do not perform effective duty, whether there are also two men employed as port enumerators, two as ship inspectors, two under the Contagious Diseases Act, and seven undergoing training in Dublin, or altogether thirteen constables who cannot be considered as performing effective duty in connection with the ordinary police duties of the City; and, whether the Corporation will be relieved from the moiety of the cost of these thirteen men?
§ MR. TREVELYAN,in reply, said, that the Report which he had received stated that, in addition to the nine detectives referred to, one man was employed as quarterly enumerator, and three were employed as Shipping Inspectors under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act. One was temporarily employed assisting these three. Two were employed under the Contagious Diseases Act, and there were, at the time that the correspondence began between the local authorities in Cork and the Irish Government, seven detectives, against which there were recruits at the depôt. As regarded the Shipping Inspectors, the Act expressly stated that the police should execute and enforce under this Act every Order of the Privy Council, so that Cork could not claim any exemption. As regarded the men in training at the depôt, it should be clearly understood that the required number of Constabulary which must be maintained free of expense to the localities was apportioned between the several counties and cities, and that a certain portion of the number must necessarily consist of recruits in training. No county or city could claim to have the full number of men always present and on duty. Never- 1750 theless, it was the practice, from the first settlement with regard to Cork police, to deduct all vacancies there, whether on account of the recruits at the depôt or from other causes. That was an exceptional arrangement in regard to Cork, which afforded a fair equivalent to the City for the necessary employment of the quarterly enumerator and of the Inspectors under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act. Accordingly, when the seven vacancies were deducted, the number of men charged for would be 23. The Government proposed carefully to consider the recommendation of the Cork Corporation on this subject; and he thought he might fairly say that the number of police would be reduced to 170, in which case, the extra men charged for would be 20, of which only one-half would be paid by the City.