§ MR. JAMES DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) if he can state how many magistrates have been appointed in South Monaghan since the present Government have come into office, and the religion of those appointed; and (2) whether he has received memorials from inhabitants in South Monaghan, praying that Roman Catholic magistrates will be appointed; and, if so, whether he will grant the prayer of the memorialists?
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALPOUR,) Leeds, CentralTwo appointments have been made to the Commission of the Peace since the date mentioned in the first paragraph; one of these magistrates is a Presbyterian and the other a Methodist. The Lord Chancellor has received a communication of the nature referred to in the second paragraph, but at present he sees no necessity for making any additional appointments in South Monaghan
§ MR. DALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) if he is aware that there are two Protestant magistrates in the polling district of Ballytrain, South Monaghan, and no Roman Catholic magistrate, although the Roman Catholic inhabitants of the polling district of Ballytrain are about six Catholic to one Protestant; (2) whether he has received representations from the inhabitants of the polling district of Ballytrain, requesting the Government to appoint Roman Catholic magistrates in the district; and (3) whether, seeing that a large portion of the polling district of Ballytrain is in the Petty Sessions district of Shercock, and that no Roman Catholic magistrate from Monaghan can take part at Petty Sessions at Shercock, what steps will he take in the matter?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR(1) I understand the statements in the first paragraph are correct. It is right to observe, however, that the district mentioned is situated partly in the Petty Sessions district of Ballybay, where four Roman Catholic magistrates attend the Petty Sessions, and partly in the district of Shercock, which is attended by three Roman Catholic magistrates. (2) As regards the second paragraph, the Lord Chancellor informs me he has nothing to add to the reply to the similar inquiry addressed to me by the hon. Member on the 5th March last. (3) I have already stated that the Shercock Petty Sessions are attended by three Catholic magistrates. In the absence of any recommendation from the Lieutenant of the County, the Lord Chancellor sees no necessity for an additional appointment to either Shercock or Bally-bay District.