§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Londonderry, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is true that in county Waterford there is no Catholic Inspector attached to the police force; whether, in accordance with the return furnished to the Inspector General last January, the proportion of Catholics to Protestants stands as eight to one, and that notwithstanding this extraordinary difference since September, 1883, fourteen men in that county have been promoted to the rank of acting sergeant, eight of whom were Catholics and six Protestants; if it is true that the promotions made in March, when four vacancies occurred, two to the rank of sergeant and two to that of acting sergeant, three Protestants were selected as against one Catholic; and, can the principle on which these promotions are made be explained?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne), in 1299 reply, said, it so happened that there were no Catholic Inspectors of Police in Waterford at the present time; but all I the head constables, their immediate assistants, were Catholics. The proportion of Catholics to Protestants in the Police Force of the county was a little under four to one; and in the case of 19 vacancies occurring since the 1st of September, 1883, there had been promoted from the rank of acting-sergeant to sergeant 17 Catholics and two Protestants, and from constable to acting-sergeant 11 Catholics and eight Protestants. During the quarter which ended on March 31 last, three vacancies occurred in the rank of sergeant, to fill which two Catholics and one Protestant acting-sergeants were promoted, and one Catholic and two Protestant constables were advanced to acting-sergeant. The County Inspector reported that the principle by which he was guided in making promotions was to select the best and most deserving men, without reference to their religious opinions.