§ MR. C. J. ENGLEDOW (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether his attention has been called to the fact that the following Civil Bill officers, namely, Halpin, Manders, Nelson, and Young, who are attached to the Kildare County Court, are in the habit of acting as inspectors for the Conservative Party at the Parliamentary Revision Courts; (2) whether it is regular for County Court Officials and Sheriffs' Officers to take an active part in political organisations; (3) whether he is aware that the County Court Judge of Carlow, who is also County Court Judge of Kildare, prevented a Carlow Civil Bill Officer from appearing as a party inspector in Carlow Revision Court; and (4) whether he will take steps to prevent the above-named Civil Bill Officers and all Sheriffs' Officers from appearing as party inspectors in the Revision Courts at the forthcoming revision for the County of Kildare?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe attention of the Irish Government has not, so far as I am aware, been hitherto called to the matter referred to. I am informed that the County Court Judge did not prevent a Civil Bill Officer from appearing as a party inspector, but that he expressed an opinion that it would be better for Civil Bill Officers not so to act, and that in deference to that expression of opinion the Civil Bill Officer ceased to act as party inspector at subsequent revisions. I am advised that I have no power to take the steps suggested in the last paragraph.