§ MR. HEALYasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If he has now received the protest of the Irish Judges against the abolition of trial by jury in Ireland, and what reply it is intended to make thereto, or if any has been sent?
§ MR. CALLANasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, since his statement to the House that no communication or memorial from the Irish Judges had reached him or any of his colleagues in the Cabinet, he has received a letter from the Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, Ireland, stating that the resolution come to by the Judges had been forwarded, when passed, to the Lord Lieutenant by the Lord Chancellor; whether such letter and resolution had not, in fact, at the time been received by the Lord Lieutenant; can he state what answer has been returned to the letter and resolution of the Judges so forwarded; and, is it still his intention to persist in imposing distasteful duties on the Irish Bench; whether, as stated in the "Freeman's Journal" of Friday last, the Judges had on the preceding day again met and passed a resolution reiterating in language of increased emphasis the former declaration; and, whether he will have any objection to place upon the Table a Copy of these resolutions of the Irish Judges?
MR. GLADSTONEI think the answer I gave on a former occasion was not quite accurately understood. Immediately after making it, I learnt that the resolution of the Judges had been communicated to the Viceroy of Ireland, but in a manner which did not appear either to him or to us to require a formal answer. Of course, in view of the Bill now before the House, it is for Parliament to say whether these duties shall be imposed on the Irish Judges or not.
§ MR. CALLANasked whether there would be any objection to lay a Copy of the resolution on the Table of the House?