§ MR. W. O'BRIEN(for Mr. T. M. HEALY) (Tyrone, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he has seen the report of the statement made by Mr. Kisby, Q.C. Queen's Advocate, in the trial of Shaw v. Lloyd, to the effect that the affirmance of the original eviction decree, which is alleged to have been tampered with by the Clerk of the Peace of Monaghan, "had been sent to the Irish Office in London, and, owing to it being sent here and there it got lost;" did the affirmance reach the Irish Office; if so, is there any trace of it to be found; has he seen the report of the further statement of the defendant's counsel, Mr. Dodd, Q.C, that the affirmance had been sent to the County Inspector of Constabulary now in Carlow; have the Government questioned the Inspector on the subject; and, if this statement is true, can he explain of the disappearance of this document, which is an important piece of evidence on the question of classification of the county records; and, is it a fact that the Lord Chief Baron, with the consent of counsel on both sides, directed a shorthand writer to be sworn to take notes of the evidence; if so, will the Government, before coming to any decision on the dismissal of the Clerk of the Peace, or of his deputy, give directions that a transcript of the shorthand writer's notes may be made, and would there be any objection to these being printed and circulated amongst the Members, as the case is one of much importance, and must form a subject of debate in the House?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)I have made inquiries, and have been informed that there is no record of this decree having been received at the Irish Office; certainly it is not there at present. I have no information as to whether the County Inspector received it, and I really see no reason why it should have been sent to him. I am informed that a shorthand writer took notes of the proceedings by order of the Court; but the Government have no control over him, and they therefore could not undertake the printing and circulating of the evidence. As I have already indicated on more than one occasion, in reply to former Questions, the Government have no power to dismiss this Clerk of the Peace. That rests with Quarter Sessions.