§ MR. W. REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. P. M. Casey, of Crusheen, County Clare, applied four times to Mr. Brady, R. M., for a licence to carry a gun to protect his crops without receiving any reply to his applications; and, whether in view of the fact that Mr. Casey's application is supported by all the Magistrates in his district, he will order the licence to be granted to him?
MR. J. MORLEYThe resident Magistrate informs me that application has been made to him by Mr. Casey for a licence to keep firearms, but that he has felt himself unable to grant the application, arid has personally informed Casey to this effect. The discretion of 754 granting or withholding an arms licence is vested by the law in the resident Maaistrate, and I am bound to state as a result of the inquiries which I myself have made in this case that the licensing officer exercised a reasonable discretion in refusing to issue a licence to Mr. Casey.
§ MR. W. REDMONDIs it not a fact that all the Magistrates in the locality recommended the licence?