§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Monaghan, N.)I wish to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a Memorial, extensively signed by the clergy of all denominations, a number of County Magistrates, and the principal merchants and farmers, without distinction, of Dromore and district, County Tyrone, was recently presented to Colonel Lowry, Vice Lieutenant of the County Tyrone, pointing out the necessity for the appointment of a Catholic Magistrate for the district, the overwhelming majority of the population of which are Catholics, while the proportion of Catholic Justices are two to nine non-Catholics, and praying that Mr. John M'Loughlan, a Catholic gentle- 894 man and independent farmer of the locality, and a member of the Local Board of Guardians, should be appointed to the Commission of the Peace; whether he can say if the prayer of the Memorial was refused, and, if so, on what grounds; whether this is the second Memorial in favour of two Catholics refused within a few months; whether the Lord Chancellor will take any steps to appoint eligible Catholics to the Commission of the Peace; whether any complaints have reached the Lord Lieutenant respecting the conduct of Mr. Alexander, a Justice of the Peace of the Dromore district, and allegations that Mr. Alexander attended meetings of the Orange Society, at which, in Mr. Alexander's presence, and without any expression of dissent or disapprobation from him, violent speeches, inciting to breaches of the peace, were delivered; and whether the attention of the Lord Chancellor will be called to these complaints against Mr. Alexander?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWith regard to the inquiries in the first two paragraphs, I beg to refer the hon. Member to my reply to a question put on this subject by the hon. Member for Mid Tyrone on 24th June. I am not aware whether a second Memorial was refused; but I am informed the Vice Lieutenant has recently recommended to the Lord Chancellor a Roman Catholic for the Dromore District, and the Lord Chancellor has signed the warrant for his appointment to the Magistracy. No complaints have reached the Lord Lieutenant or the Lord Chancellor of Ireland in regard to the gentleman mentioned in the fifth paragraph.