HC Deb 29 April 1884 vol 287 cc893-4
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, How many workhouse or dispensary medical officers in Ireland have been appointed to act in the Commission of the Peace since the rule was made excluding such officers from the Commission; how many of the medical officers so appointed are Protestants; whether, with refer- ence to the case of Dr. Flannery, of Tubbercurry, county Sligo, it is the fact that Mr. Reynolds, of Tubbercurry, was appointed to the Commission of the Peace, although, as manager of the bank acting as treasurer to the local union, he was disqualified from acting as an ex-officio guardian; and, whether, having regard to the provision which prevents a Poor Law medical officer from acting as an ex-officio guardian, and the fact that many such officers actually hold the Commission of the Peace, the rule excluding them from the Commission will now be reconsidered?

MR. TREVELYAN

I am informed that there are 10 gentlemen who have been appointed to the Commission of the Peace since 1872, the time when the rule in question was made, who are now dispensary doctors; but with regard to eight of them, the records of the Hanaper Office do not show whether or not they were dispensary doctors when appointed to the Commission of the Peace. Two of them were appointed by the late Lord Chancellor, knowing that they were dispensary doctors, but before the rule had been brought to his knowledge. The official records do not show the religious profession of any of these gentlemen. Previous to the case of Dr. Flannery of Tubbercurry, the present Lord Chancellor, acting on the rule of 1872, declined to appoint several gentlemen who were dispensary doctors, and he believes that the rule is a wise one, and ought to be maintained. With regard to Mr. Reynolds, named in the Question, there is no record in the Lord Chancellor's Office to show whether in 1878, when he was appointed to the Commission of the Peace, he was manager of a Bank acting as Treasurer of a local Union; but I am informed that such fact, even if it was so, was no disqualification to his being appointed a magistrate.