§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he could state the number of Roman Catholics serving in Constabulary district of Moville over five years' service in the force; also the number of Catholics entered or recommended for promotion by Mr. Smith in said district; if his attention has been drawn to the number of Protestants in the same district, and the number recommended by Mr. Smith for promotion of the Protestant religion, with the length of service of each; if he would inquire whether Sub-Constables Marks, Moffit, and Johnston, of the Moville station are entered on Table 9, of Return No. 8, of the promotion list, by Mr. Smith, solely because they are Protestants, being only of three years and five years in the force; and that Sub-Constable Marks, a man of only three years' service, is the first name entered on said Return solely because he is a Protestant, to the exclusion of many Catholics of over twenty years' service in the district of Moville; is Mr. Sub-Inspector Smith, Head Constable Mordoch, and five other members 40 of the force, all Protestants, stationed in Moville; that during the months of April, May, and June last, there were no Catholics in the force of a rank higher than an acting constable even to march the Catholics to Divine Service on Sundays; in taking the decennial Census for this year 1881 in Moville, why was three Protestants named for that duty, namely, Sub-Constables Marks, Johnston, and Moffit, to the exclusion of all the Catholics, though many of them in the station were competent and qualified to do so; is Sub-Constable Reilly changed to Malin, a Catholic, to make room for a Protestant, Sub-Constable Dixon; and, why are so many Protestants changed to Moville since Sub-Inspector Smith came to the district?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, there were 20 Roman Catholics serving in the Constabulary district of Moville of over five years' service. There were six Roman Catholics recommended by Sub-Inspector Smith for promotion. There were eight Protestants and three Presbyterians serving in that district. Three Protestants had been recommended for promotion, their service being respectively five years and eleven months, three years and five months, and three years and six months. There was also one Presbyterian so recommended. Sub-Constables Marks, Moffit, and Johnston had been entered on the promotion list not on account of religion, but in consequence of their qualifications for higher rank. Sub-Constable Marks had three years and five months service, and he had been placed first on the list on account of his superior qualifications. There was only one sub-constable in the district of over 20 years' service. Sub-Inspector Smith, a Protestant; Head-Constable Mordoch, ditto; one Presbyterian, and four sub-constables, also members of the Church of Ireland, were stationed in Moville. Since the 20th of April there was no Roman Catholic there of a higher rank than acting constable. Sub-Constables Marks, Johnston, and Moffit were employed in taking the decennial Census because they were qualified to do it. Sub-Constable Reilly, a Roman Catholic, was changed to Malin for good service, and not to make room for a Protestant—Sub-Constable Dixon. Any change that had occurred at Moville had been in the ordinary course of transfers.