§ MR. JOHN REDMONDasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Upon whose recommendation and under what circumstances James Ellis French, late detective director in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and at present undergoing a sentence of two years' imprisonment for unnatural offences, was promoted to be county inspector over the heads of officers senior to him in rank and service; did the Lord Lieutenant obtain authority; and, if so, in what manner, to increase the established number of county inspectors in Ireland by one, and was James Ellis French selected to fill the vacancy thus created; and, who was the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland when this transaction took place?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANA Committee which reported in March, 1882, on the pay and allowances of the officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary, recommended amongst other things that the officer selected for the post of Detective Director should, when so appointed, be made of the rank of County Inspector if he did not already hold that rank. The proposal was adopted by the Irish Government and the Treasury; and as legislative sanction was necessary, provision was accordingly made in a Bill which passed the same year to enable the Lord Lieutenant to create an additional County Inspector. In pursuance of this recommendation and provision, Mr. French, who had held the office of Detective Director for some time previously, was made a County Inspector in October, 1882.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my Question as to on whose recommendation French was selected?
§ Ms. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANMr. French was discharging these functions at the time when the Committee recommended that the officer who held the office should have the rank of County Inspector; therefore, he was made County Inspector.