§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Upon whose recommendation Mr. Henry Blake was promoted from being a police officer be a resident magistrate; and, whether there were any unfavourable records against him during his service in the constabulary?
§ MR. TREVELYANMr. Blake was appointed to a Resident Magistracy by the late Government in January, 1876, and there are no papers in my Office that show on whose recommendation he was appointed; but I have reason to believe that the appointment was made on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police. I find that during a service of 17 years as a Constabulary officer he received several favourable records and one unfavourable record.
§ MR. CALLANWas Mr. Blake ever returned for trial for taking forcible 61 and unlawful possession of property in Tipperary?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe unfavourable record was for a very much lighter offence than that.
§ MR. TREVELYANI think these reports are confidential; but I am perfectly ready to state on my own responsibility that the case was an extremely light one, and one of an almost technical and professional nature, and had not the least reference to his relations with the people of the country.