§ MAJOR JAMESON (Clare, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that Mr. Brady, resident magistrate, county Clare, had refused to grant Mr. Patrick Casey, farmer, of Cruiskeen, county Clare, a licence to carry a gun for the protection of his crops, although the granting of such licence was recommended by several Justices of the Peace and the foremen of the Grand Jury; and could he state the reason for the refusal to grant Mr. Patrick Casey a gun licence?
§ MR. W. H. K. REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg also to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what are the reasons why Mr. Brady, R.M., refuses to grant a gun licence to Mr. Patrick Casey, a farmer, of Cruiskeen, county Clare?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe discretion of granting or withholding a licence to carry firearms is vested by law in the Resident Magistrate of the district, and it would be quite contrary to practice to state the reasons which have influenced that officer in refusing to issue such a licence in any particular case. My predecessor stated, in answer to a Question put to him by the honourable Member on the 11th March, 1895, that he had satisfied himself that the Licensing Officer had exercised his discretion in this case in a reasonable manner, and I fully concur opinion with my predecessor.