§ MR. MACNEILL (Donegal S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lientenant of Ireland, Whether Resident Magistrates Gardiner and Redmond, who on the 31st of May, at Castlemartyr, convicted Thomas Renny of conspiring not to supply goods to a member of the Irish Constabulary, and sentenced him to the fullest term of imprisonment permissible without appeal, were before their appointments as Resident Magistrates officers of the Irish Constabulary; and, for what periods, respectively, did Messrs. Gardiner and Redmond serve in the Irish Constabulary, and what rank did they hold in that force?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)Both the Resident Magistrates named served in the Constabulary as officers. Mr. Gardiner served from February 2, 1867, to January 27, 1881; and Mr. Redmond from July 10, 1850, to September 10, 1860. Both held the rank of Sub-Inspector. That title is now changed to District Inspector. Both were declared legally qualified under the Prevention of Crime Act of 1882, and have been likewise declared qualified under the Act of last Session.
MR. MAC NEILLasked the Chief Secretary, whether he would in future try to make some provision when an offence against the Constabulary was tried under the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act, that ex-Constabulary officers should not exclusively compose the tribunal?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI see no reason why such an arrangement should be made.