§ MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the office of Coroner for the Glenties Division of the County of Donegal has been vacant since 3rd March, 1887; whether he is aware that much expense has been thereby entailed on the candidates for that office by reason of advertisements, meetings, &c.; whether complaints have reached him that the vacancy in the office for so prolonged a period has caused much public inconvenience; whether a vacancy in the office of Coroner for the Barony of Kenmurgh, County of Derry, has been filled, although it occurred long subsequently to the vacancy in Donegal; why has the writ for the election of a new Coroner for the Glenties Division of Donegal not been issued; and, what steps, if any, will be taken to secure an immediate election?
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN)(who replied) said (Kent, Isle of Thanet)The delay in the issuing of the writ arose in consequence of an application for a re-division of the county into Coroners' districts, to enable additional polling places to be fixed. The first application for this purpose was informal. A further application, put forward in proper form, was granted; and upon the necessary preliminaries under that application being carried out the writ for a new election was issued on July 5. In the Londonderry case alluded to, the earlier issue of the writ was due to the circumstance that no informality arose, and the case was accordingly at once dealt with,