§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Londonderry, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is the fact that Inspector Cowman, of the Dublin Mounted Metropolitan Police is to be compulsorily retired after thirty years' service; can he state how many Protestants and how many Catholics have been promoted into his troop of twenty men since Mr. Harrel was made Commissioner; is it the case that a junior Sergeant, who is a Protestant, has now been placed in charge of the troop during Inspector Cowman's absence over two Catholic Officers of much longer standing; and, has this junior Sergeant been drilled at the Royal Military Barracks; and, was this done with a view to making him eligible for promotion over men of twelve and eight years' longer service?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne), in reply, said, Inspector Cowman had had over 30 years' service, and was entitled to a pension equal to full pay. He had expressed his intention to retire next August; but Mr. Harrel, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, for a very obvious reason, thought a man being under notice did not conduce to his authority in the Force; and, having regard to the further fact that the Inspector would not lose any pay by immediate retirement, intimated to him that it was expedient his resignation should take place at once. Thereupon Cowman sent in his resignation. What happened then was that the Commissioner 1654 appointed a Board of officers to consider who should be placed in charge of the troop. That Board consisted of five members, all of them Catholics. After discussing the merits of every man's service who claimed to be considered, the Board unanimously recommended Sergeant Chase, the junior sergeant, who was a Protestant. In this recommendation the Commissioners concurred. Mr. Harrell had informed him (Mr. Morley) that since he took charge of the Force seven men had been appointed to fill vacancies in the mounted troop; of them four were Catholics and three Protestants. But Mr. Harrel assured him that he was unaware of the religion of any of them until he was obliged to ask for the information to enable him to furnish an answer to this Question.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYasked if the right hon. Gentleman would give the names of the officers on the Board?
§ MR. JOHN MORLEYsaid, they were officers of the Force; but the fact remained that, being Catholics, they appointed this Protestant.