§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast,W., and Sligo, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the Report of the application of District Inspector Stritch to the County Antrim Grand Jury at the last summer assizes, contained in the Belfast papers of the 23rd July last; whether it is the fact that, owing to an omission in the Belfast Private Act of 1865 (28 & 29 Vict. c. 183), transferring the jurisdiction of the Grand Jury of the county Antrim to the Belfast Town Council, the power, existing throughout the whole of the rest of Ireland (by virtue of the 6 & 7 Will. IV., c. 116, s. 106), of granting compensation in the case of witnesses and magistrates, or other peace officers, maimed or murdered on account of their efforts to bring disturbers of the peace to justice, does not apply to the borough of Belfast; whether it is the fact that, in the case of such occurrences taking place in Belfast, compensation cannot be granted at all, or can only be granted by the Grand Jury of the county Antrim, who would have no power either to levy county cess in the borough or to compel the borough to contribute; whether it is true that several other persons (including the representative of Head Constable Gar- 1115 diner, deceased, who was shot in Belfast during the riots) are in the same position as District Inspector Stritch; and, whether the Government propose to remedy this injustice?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)(who replied) said: My attention has only been called to the application of District Inspector Stritch by the Question of the hon. Member. On reference to the Belfast Local Act of 1865 I find that there appears to have been the omission mentioned in the second paragraph of the Question, with the result stated in the third paragraph. My attention has also been called to some other alleged defects in the Belfast Local Act in connection with the riots in Belfast. I will look carefully into the matter before the next Session of Parliament, with the view of seeing whether some amendment of the law may not be made.