§ MR. GILLasked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, If his attention has been called to the following extract from the Recollections of Mr. F. Thorp Porter, who had twenty years' experience as a Dublin police magistrate:—
I may mention here that the Police Laws of the Irish Metropolitan district are, to the highest degree, complex, voluminous, involved, and puzzling. In the English Metropolitan district two statutes regulate, one the Police Force and the other the Police Courts. In Dublin we have a statute passed in 1808, another in 1824 a third in 1836, a fourth in 1837, a fifth in 1838, a sixth in 1839, a seventh in 1842, and an Act in relation to Public Carriages, which may be also termed a Police statute, in 1848. They contain three hundred and sixty-six sections, and may be designated as disgraceful to the several Executive Governments which have left them unconsolidated and uncodified;'and, if he will endeavour to bring in a Bill at the earliest possible opportunity, to consolidate and simplify those statutes?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. LAW)Sir, I have not had an opportunity of reading Mr. Porter's book, which, however, I am told is interesting and amusing. I am not aware that any difficulty is experienced in administering the police laws in the Dublin Metropolis, and, therefore, do not at present propose to lay before Parliament any Bill on the subject.