§ MR. DALYI beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland (1) whether he is aware of the fact that jurors in County Monaghan at the late assizes had to travel over 26 Irish miles to see the Judge presented with white gloves, there being no business to be done, and that the County Court Judge of County Monaghan has several times sympathised with the jurors of this county for having to attend before him when no business was to be transacted; and (2) whether he will take steps to prevent jurors being put to the trouble and expense of having to attend assizes or quarter sessions when there is no business for them?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.If the hon. Member will refer to the Votes, he will see that I have given notice of a Bill to remedy the grievance under which jurors suffer in being obliged to attend Quarter Sessions unnecessarily. I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the statements in the first paragraph of the Question, but they are quite exceptional. I do not see my way to extend the scope of the contemplated Measure to the case of jurors attending at assizes, or to introduce independent legislation with regard to them.
§ MR. JAMES ROCHE (Kerry, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether his attention has been called to the charge of Chief Baron Palles to the Grand Jury of the County of Kerry in opening the Spring Assizes at Tralee on Thursday last, in which he stated that the criminal calendar was one of extraordinary lightness, there being only five bills to come before them; and (2) whether, in view of 658 this satisfactory judicial pronouncement, he will endeavour to make some substantial reduction in the large force of extra police now stationed in that county, as the cost of the smile bears with especial force on what is now the highest rated county in Ireland?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have seen a newspaper report of the learned Judge's address to the Grand Jury at the opening of the Kerry Spring Assizes, in which he referred to the improvement in the condition of the county as shown by the Constabulary Returns. With regard to the second paragraph, there has been effected a reduction of 35 men in the extra police establishment of the county during the past twelve months, consequent on the improved state of the county, and this reduction is equivalent to a relief to local rates of £1,100 per annum. The strength of the extra force in the county at present is 65 men, as compared with 151 in March 1894.