§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether under the rule of the Civil Service Commissioners declaring members of the Irish Constabulary force admissible to compete for certain situations in the Civil Service, any member of the Constabulary force who so desires can present himself for examination; or whether, before doing so, he is required by any rule or practice of the force to ask the leave of the Inspector General, and must, in order to qualify himself obtain the leave in writing; whether, if this be the rule or practice, the Inspec 644 tor General can either give or refuse the leave at his pleasure, and, in the latter case, is not obliged to show any cause for his refusal; upon what principle, if it exists, is it founded; and, whether it will be discontinued?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThere is a rule of the Civil Service Commissioners, adopted at the instance of a late Inspector General of Constabulary, that members of the force of under 12 years' service should resign their position in the Constabulary before competing for a Civil Service ppointment, unless they obtain the Inspector General's permission to do so. The Inspector General has not, as a rule, refused to allow a man of good character to compete, even though his service was less than that named; but he can do so if he thinks the public interest require it. The principle upon which the rule is based is that young men upon whose police training much time and public money have been expended should not, as a rule, be encouraged lightly, or at too early a period of their service, to seek other employment. I understand that the power is seldom exercised; but the rule seems a good one, and I see no reason why it should be rescinded.