§ MR. LEWISasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. Samuel Black, of Randalstown, county Antrim, has recently been appointed a magistrate of the county; whether such appointment was not made by the Lord Chancellor after the refusal of the Lieutenant of the County to recommend the appointment; whether it is true that the Lord Chancellor in the first instance refused to make the appointment on the ground of Mr. Black's alleged connection with "Boycotting" shopkeepers in Randalstown who would not join the Land League; whether Mr. Black was a Liberal Candidate for the County at the last Election; and, whether he will state upon what grounds this appointment was ultimately made?
§ MR. GIVANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that out of one hundred and twenty-six magistrates in county Antrim there are only sixteen Presbyterians and five Roman Catholics, although the Presbyterians constitute more than one-half and the Roman Catholics constitute a large proportion of the population; whether it is the case that the Lord Lieutenant of the County is an habitual absentee, and has not been in the county for seventeen years; and, whether much dissatisfaction does not prevail in consequence of the condition of the magistracy; and, will the Government take any immediate steps to remove this grievance, which seriously affects the confidence of the people in the impartial administration of justice?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERYes, Sir; it is a fact that Mr. Samuel Black has recently been appointed a magistrate for the county of Antrim. As to the second Question, I cannot answer as to communications which have passed between the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Lieu- 944 tenant of the county relative to the appointments of magistrates. These communications must be confidential, and I do not think I ought to answer Questions with regard to them. As to the third Question, it is wholly untrue that the Lord Chancellor, in the first instance or at all, refused to make the appointment of Mr. Black on the ground of Mr. Black's alleged connection with "Boycotting" shopkeepers in Randalstown who would not join the Land League, or on any other ground. But I think it only due to Mr. Black, with regard to this Question, to say that he himself has informed me that there is no branch of the Land League in Randalstown, consequently there could not be any "Boycotting" by, or in connection with, the Land League; that he has never had any connection with the Land League in any shape or form; and, he adds, that he has never been connected with "Boycotting" shopkeepers in Randalstown. Mr. Black was the Liberal candidate for the County Antrim at the last Election, being selected as the candidate owing to his position, and he polled several thousand votes. With regard to the last part of the Question of the hon. Member for Londonderry, I hardly think I should be called on to reply to it. The grounds of the appointment were perfectly satisfactory to the Lord Chancellor, who thought that if high intelligence, unstained integrity, and large experience, and a large stake of property in the county were sufficient to qualify a gentleman for the magistracy of Antrim, Mr. Black was duly qualified. In reply to the hon. Member for Monaghan, I have not been able to ascertain the accuracy of the statistics; but I have no reason to believe they are inaccurate. I am not aware that any complaints have been made as to the constitution of the Bench; but my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor of Ireland is always ready to remove any magistrate against whom just cause of complaint is made out.
§ MR. BIGGARI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will state how often the Lord Lieutenant of Antrim has been in the county for the past 30 years?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERI have not that acquaintance with the Lord Lieutenant of Antrim to be able to say.
§ MR. CALLANIs he not aware, as Chief Secretary for Ireland, that it is notorious that the Lord Lieutenant of Antrim is, and has been for 20 years, an absentee?
§ [No reply was given.]