§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether the Irish constabulary have been recently ordered to carry handcuffs in their trousers pockets; and, whether such a regulation is not both inconvenient and dangerous to the men in case of their making some unusual exertion, as for instance pursuing a criminal?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHSir, the Irish constabulary have recently been ordered to carry their handcuffs in their pockets, on the recommendation of a Board of officers of the force appointed to consider some improvements calculated to lighten the equipments of the men. The change was not sanctioned without previous experiments which went to show that a practice which is, I believe, almost universal in other forces of police would not be inconvenient or dangerous to the constabulary.