§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the case of Police Sergeant Gallagher, stationed at Granard, county Longford, who was accused of drunkenness, tried, on the 3rd of April, by a court composed of three inspectors, found guilty, and reduced to the rank and pay of constable; whether, in that case, there was a remarkable conflict of testimony, five Catholic policemen, who were present when the charge was made, deposing that Gallagher was sober, and two Protestant policemen deposing that he was drunk; whether Gallagher is a Catholic, and whether the three inspectors who tried the case are Protestants; whether, in the town of Granard, which has a population of nearly 2,000, of whom about forty are Protestants, there are a Protestant inspector of police, a Protestant headconstable, a Protestant sergeant, and four Protestant constables, the entire constabulary force consisting of thirteen men; and. whether he would direct a new inquiry to be held, before a court not exclusively Protestant?
§ MR. TREVELYANSergeant Gallagher's case was carefully investigated by a Constabulary Court. There was some conflict of evidence; but the Court and the Inspector General considered the charge against him fully established. The religious profession of members of the Court, or of the witnesses, could not and did not in any way affect the conclusion arrived at. With regard to the rest of the Question, I am going to give an answer which I communicated to the hon. Member privately—that, in consequence of Questions which have been asked from more than one quarter of the House, the Irish Government have come to the conclusion that announcements in Parliament on the promotion and distribution of Roman Catholics and Protestants in the Constabulary tend to prejudice discipline and raise a feeling of religious animosity and jealousy in a force where it is most essential that it should not exist. The Government are confident that members of the force of all ranks honestly perform their duty without religious bias, and they have 425 confidence that those charged with the duty of selecting for promotion do not allow a constable's religion to interfere with his advancement. Under these circumstances, I have come to the conclusion that I must respectfully decline to answer Questions from any quarter of the House relating to the religion of the Constabulary in any particular town or district.
§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYIn consequence of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, I will, on the first opportunity open to me, draw the attention of the House to the whole circumstances mentioned in the Question, and move a Resolution.
MR. O'BRIENMight I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman's decision has been in any manner influenced by late votes in this House?