HC Deb 26 August 1886 vol 308 cc530-1
MR. LEWIS (Londonderry)

asked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether the appointment of assistant revising barristers in Ireland this year was made by the Lord Lieutenant on the 2nd of August; whether that was many days after the resignation of the late Prime Minister; whether such appointment was made many days before the similar appointments were made last year; whether such appointments were made appointing the several barristers to particular constituencies, instead of leaving the barristers to arrange with the county chairmen, as prescribed by the Act passed in the last Session of Parliament; and, whether one of the assistant revising barristers so appointed was a defeated candidate at the recent General Election?

MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)

asked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether it had not been the invariable practice of successive Governments in Ireland, whether Liberal or Tory, to exercise, before going out of Office, any patronage they had in the way of existing vacancies; and whether, in relation to the last paragraph of the hon. Member's Question, to the effect that one of the Assistant Revising Barristers was a candidate at the recent General Election, it was not the fact that one of the Assistant Revising Barristers appointed by the Conservative Government was also a defeated candidate at the General Election in 1885?

MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)

said, he also wished to ask whether it was not the fact that last January several executive acts, such as the appointment of magistrates, were performed by the Government of Lord Salisbury up to the resignation of the Ministry?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)

In answer to the Question which has been put by the hon. Member for Londonderry (Mr. Lewis), I have to say that the late Lord Lieutenant appointed 28 Revising Barristers on the 2nd of August, which was some days subsequent to the resignation of the late Prime Minister and some time before the date that similar appointments were made last year. One of the gentlemen appointed had been a candidate at the General Election. I am informed that the Lord Lieutenant's warrants appointed Barristers for counties generally and not for particular constituencies; but in some instances the letters enclosing the warrants stated that a Barrister was appointed for a particular division. In answer to the Questions put by hon. Gentlemen opposite I am not in a position to state what the practice of successive Governments has been, for my knowledge does not extend over many successive Governments, but I know that appointments have been made in the way suggested. As to the further Question as to a gentleman having been appointed last year who had contested a constituency, I am not aware that any gentleman who addressed a constituency as a candidate was appointed subsequently to his having done so. One gentleman who had acted as Revising Barrister was subsequently a candidate, but at the time he was appointed he had never in any way come forward as a candidate for Parliamentary representation, and I have his assurance for saying that at the time he accepted the appointment he had no intention of doing so.

MR. MAURICE HEALY

He was a member of the Constitutional Club.