§ MR. A. O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that large numbers of Civil Bills in Ejectments are served by persons other than Civil Bill Officers, with the result that large numbers of tenants are charged fees in excess of those allowed by Law; whether the judicial statistics are in part founded upon Returns made by Civil Bill Officers as to the cases in which Ejectments are served, Returns necessarily erroneous to the extent of ejectments not served by them; and whether he will consider the desirability of obtaining an Order in Council amending the practice with regard to the service of Ejectments?
MR. J. MORLEYMy attention has been called to this matter by a Memorial received from Civil Bill Officers of Donegal and Londonderry. I am advised that—(1.) Processes in Ejectment or Replevin may be served by other persons than Civil Bill Officers. Other Civil Bills must be served by Civil Bill Officers. This is regulated by Section 15 of 14 and 15 Vic. Cap. 57, and His Excellency has no power to interfere. (2.) A table in the Judicial Statistics shows the number of Ejectments, Replevins, and other Civil Bills served in each year as shown in Returns furnished by Civil Bill Officers. This Return is necessarily incomplete, as regards Ejectments and Replevins, and there is no means of obtaining a complete Return of Ejectments served by persons other than Civil Bill Officers. Steps will be taken in future issues of the Judicial Statistics 741 to obviate any misunderstanding on this point by amending the heading of the table. (3.) The matter being thus one which is regulated by Statute, my hon. Friend will see that it cannot be interfered with by the Lord Lieutenant or the Privy Council.