§ DR. R. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if the Lord Chancellor of Ireland has yet arrived at a decision as to whether Mr. Robert Vesey Stoney, J. P. and D. L., of Rosturk Castle, County Mayo, is a fit and proper person to hold Her Majesty's Commission of the 1749 Peace; and if he has not arrived at such decision, what is the cause of the delay?
§ MR. BRYCE (for Mr. J. MORLEY)The allegations made against Mr. Stoney are being investigated by the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. As far as regards charges in relation to the administration of emigration funds, they were investigated in the year 1887, and a decision come to by the present Lord Chancellor's predecessor which was at the time made public. There are other allegations against Mr. Stoney, and justice requires that he should be afforded the fullest opportunity of explanation. The present suspension of a decision is entirely due to the fact that the Lord Chancellor thinks such an opportunity ought to be given. When those conditions are satisfied the Lord Chancellor will lose no time in arriving at and announcing a decision.
§ DR. AMBROSESurely there has been time to go through the Papers since I first put the question months ago? I am ashamed to be continually asking this question.
§ MR. BRYCEI can only say that the Lord Chancellor is investigating the matter. The graver the case is the more necessary it appears to be for the Lord Chancellor to take the requisite time personally to investigate it.
MR. MAC NEILL (Donegal, S.)And, meanwhile, is Mr. Stoney permitted to continue the exercise of judicial functions?
§ DR. AMBROSEHas it ever taken so long a time to investigate charges against Nationalist Magistrates as has been occupied in Mr. Stoney's case?
§ [No answer was given.]