§ MR. CALLANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, with reference to the answer of the Chief Secretary on the 18th March 1870, Whether the Revision of the List of the Irish Magistracy, "with a view of clearing the List of the names of the persons who ought not to be there, or who had ceased to be able to act," which was then stated to be "yet going on," has been completed; and, if so, has any effect been given to the said revision in any one county in Ireland; if not completed, what progress, if any, has been made in such revision; whether any effect has been given to the opinion of the then Chief Secretary, "That the Government should use their 840 influence" to have advantage taken of "all fair and proper opportunities to reduce the inequalities" then admitted to exist in the undue disproportion of Protestants to Catholics on the magisterial bench; and, whether the attention of the Irish Executive has been drawn to the character of all the appointments to the Magistracy for the County of Louth since 1867, and the exclusion of Catholics from the magisterial bench, including, amongst others, of a Catholic Peer, the son of the immediate predecessor of Lord Rathdonnel in the Lieutenancy, and one of the largest landed proprietors in the County?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, that as the Question had appeared on the Paper only that morning, he had been unable to obtain information from Dublin on the subject, and was, therefore, unable to answer the Question.
§ MR. CALLANsaid, he would put the Question to-morrow, and if not answered then, would put it early next Session.
§ MR. CALLANstated that the Lord Chancellor of Ireland was now in London.