HC Deb 26 June 1882 vol 271 cc394-6
MR. DILLON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that, after the passing of the Arms Act, the Hon. M. J. Ffrench, R.M., Cashel, called a meeting of the magistrates attending the Cashel Petty Sessions at a club-room known as the Rock Club, Cashel, at which he (the Hon. M. Ffrench) issued to the justices there assembled a request that they should abstain from signing certificates for license to have arms where demanded, thereby completely nullifying the fourth section of the Arms Act, and whether such request has been strictly adhered to, save in one case, where the signatory happened to be the sole absentee on the occasion referred to; whether it is a fact that, at a petty sessions held at Fethard, county Tipperary, on the 22nd of May, a magistrate sitting on the bench, Major Purcell, Rowan, applied for a gun license for his brother-in-law, Charles Black-moor, Esq., Montlestown Castle, a gentleman holding fee simple property over £400 per annum; whether the stipendiary magistrate, the Hon. Mr. Ffrench, asked if applicant had paid his rent; and whether, on being informed that Mr. Blackmoor had no rent to pay, the application was refused, on the grounds that he (Mr. Ffrench) had heard that Mr. Blackmoor had attended Land League meetings;" whether it is true that a farmer, named John Quigley, tenant to Richard Penne father Lloyd, county Roscommon, who holds property in the county Tipperary, applied for a gun license at the Fethard Petty Sessions held on the 22nd May; whether, in a catechetical examination, which the Hon. M. J. Ffrench has adopted, it was elicited that the applicant had paid his rent, but, owing to an error of deducting the poor rates on the valuation and not on the rent paid, a trifling sum of three shillings and four pence remained due; and, whether, until such trifling sum was paid, the stipendiary magistrate refused to grant a license, notwithstanding that the tenant and landlord are on the most friendly terms, as appeared from the letter of the landlord to tenant, produced?

MR. TREVELYAN

; Sir, I have obtained a report from the Hon. Mr. Ffrench, the Resident Magistrate referred to in this Question, from which I find that there is no ground for the statement made in the first paragraph of it, as he called no such meeting of magistrates, either at the Rock Club or anywhere else. With regard to the second and third paragraphs, what appeared to have happened was that an informal application, written in pencil on a scrap of paper, was handed to Mr. Ffrench, asking for licenses for Charles and John Blackmore. He knew of no such person as John Blackmore, but having made inquiry he issued licenses to Charles and Henry Blackmore on thel9th instant. He has no recollection of having asked any question with regard to their rent. In reply to the remainder of the Question, it appears that he was applied to by John Quigley for an arms license. He did make some inquiries from the applicant with regard to his rent, and finding that he owed his landlord a sum of 3s. 4d., he advised him to pay it off at once, the amount was so small, and to come again for an arms license. I will, however, refer to Dublin to see whether a different system cannot be adopted.