HC Deb 05 July 1897 vol 50 cc1093-4
MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the reason for which Lord Rossmore was dismissed from the Commission of the Peace for the county Monaghan in 1883 was publicly stated to be that Lord Rossmore had headed a band of armed Orange rioters in that county in an organised attempt to break up a Nationalist meeting, and broke through the ranks of the Queen's troops; also, that in November 1893, after the reinstatement of Lord Rossmore in the Commission of the Peace, his conduct was brought under the consideration of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland in connection with his action in a case before the Land Commission, in which a tenant of Lord Rossmore's had been induced by the agent of that nobleman to sign an agreement excluding himself from all proprietary rights in his own improvements, a transaction for which NI r. Justice Bewley stated from the Judicial Bench no censure could be too strong; and (2) whether, having regard to these circumstances, the Government will reconsider their decision in appointing Lord Rossmore to the Lieutenancy of Monaghan?

*THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, Central

The circumstances under which Lord Rossmore was superseded in the Commission of the Peace in November 1883, are fully detailed in the correspondence which was presented to Parliament in the following year. It has already been pointed out that this super session did not extend to the office of Deputy Lieutenant which Lord Rossmore has held for 23 years. The second part of the first paragraph formed the subject-matter of a question addressed to my predecessor in office on the 10th November 1893, and the conclusion arrived at by the late Lord Chancellor was that Lord Rossmore had no personal knowledge of or connection with the act of his agent, and that there was no ground whatever for taking any action against hint as a Magistrate. He has been appointed to the Lieutenancy of the County, and there is no intention to reconsider the appointment.