§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is true that the county inspector, the sub-inspector, head constable, mounted constable, infantry constable, and acting constable, are all Protestants at the head quarter station, Scotch Street, Armagh; that the present county inspector, who is only in charge of the county for about six months, has during that time promoted five Protestants and only one Catholic, although the Catholic members of the force comprise about seventy per cent, of the county force; that the county inspector has within one month tranferred three Catholics out of Armagh, replacing them by two Protestants and one Catholic; that the entire Catholic force of the county is so dissatisfied with County Inspector Garrett as to be in a state bordering on insubordination or resignation; and, if an inquiry would be granted into the facts specified, and if the examination papers of the men promoted, and of the Catholic men rejected, could be submitted to an impartial tribunal?
§ MR. TREVELYANIt is the fact that the members of the Armagh force, mentioned are Protestants; but the hon. Member's informant has apparently omitted to tell him that there are three Roman Catholic constables serving at the same station, which, of course, has an important bearing on the apparent proportions of the members of his religion. The present County Inspector took charge in October last, and in December he held an examination; and after careful inquiry and consultation with his officers, he placed upon his promotion list the names of 48 men, of whom 26 are Roman Catholics and 22 Protestants of different denominations. He placed them in what ho believed to be their order of merit, and without for a moment considering their religious persuasions. Of these six were promoted last month, of whom five are Protestants and one a Roman Catholic. The Catholic proportion of the force is overstated in the Question. It is about 59 per cent, not 70. There are now 13 Catholics and 10 Protestants serving in the town of Armagh. During the last two months three Catholics have been transferred out of the town, and replaced 1057 by two Protestants and one Catholic. One of those transferred was an acting constable who, on promotion, was sent at his own request to an out station, where he could have accommodation for his family. All the transfers were made upon consideration of the claims of senior men, and with a view to accommodate them. I am happy to say that no part of the county force is in the condition described. I see no reason for directing a special inquiry into this matter, or for producing examination papers. I may state that the complaints of the men of the Royal Irish Constabulary with regard to the present system of promotion were carefully inquired into by the recent Committee; and the Government hope that the recommendations of that Committee will equalize and systematize the promotion in a manner which will be satisfactory to the Force.