§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether there is any rule or practice in the Irish Constabulary to prevent policemen from being stationed in places where they have relatives, and, if so, whether this rule or practice is universally enforced?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralThere does exist in the Royal Irish Constabulary a regulation of the nature indicated which is enforced, except in a few instances, where, as I am informed, it is manifest that the interests of the public service would not suffer in any way by a relaxation of the regulation.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether it is true that members of the Royal Irish Constabulary are employed in watching the farm from which Peter Duggan was recently evicted at Bally-minogue, Scariff, County Clare, and who has sanctioned the employment of the police for that purpose?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe police have received no special instructions in connection with this farm. It is the imperative duty of the police to prevent any apprehended violation of the law, and as there was reason to believe that an attempt might be made to commit a larceny of hay from the farm in question, the police, in the discharge of their duty, have occasionally patrolled to the farm for the purpose of preventing any such larceny.