§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Government will abstain from appointing any successor to the late Mr. Justice Lawson until Parliament has had an opportunity of considering the Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland) Amendment Bill?
§ MR. HENRY H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)also asked the right hon. Gentleman, Whether, having regard to the fact that according to the latest annual Return in the Judicial Statistics there were tried by the 15 Common Law English Judges 3,626 prisoners and 2,282 civil actions, and by the 10 Common Law Irish Judges 1,014 prisoners 1801 and 588 civil actions, he will abstain from filling up the present vacancy in the Irish. Common Law Bench until Parliament has had the opportunity of considering whether the number of the Irish Judges cannot be reduced?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester. E.)I am anxious, of course, to carry out as far as I can the policy expressed in the Bill laid on the Table of the House. The hon. Gentleman and right hon. Gentleman are aware that the Judgeship which has been made vacant by the death of Mr. Justice Lawson is not one of those which it was proposed to abolish either by the Bill of the late Chief Secretary or by the Bill which I have laid on the Table of the House; and though I shall do everything in my power to carry out generously everything involved in that Bill, I could not give the pledge which the hon. Gentlemen ask for.