§ MR. PARNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, at the Cork Assizes, on the 20th instant, only seven bills for criminal cases were sent before the City Grand Jury; whether these cases were of a trivial description; whether one jury was sufficient for all these cases, and got through them by five o'clock in the afternoon; whether past Assizes for a number of years back show the same record, so far as criminal cases arising in the city of Cork are concerned; and, whether, in view of this absolute freedom of Cork from serious crime of any kind, and its almost absolute freedom from, crime of any sort, he will continue to maintain an extra force of police there?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, seven bills were sent to the City Grand Jury at the late Assizes, and there were none of them of a serious character. Two juries disposed of the cases, which finished at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The criminal business has been very light for some time past; but the Bench of Magistrates 1156 and the local Constabulary authorities, having carefully considered whether the extra police could be withdrawn, thought that it would he impossible to perform the duties efficiently with a less force than at present.
§ MR. PARNELLI beg to give Notice that on the Motion that the Honse do adjourn for the Easter Recess, I shall call attention to this subject of the extra police tax in the City of Cork.