§ MR. P. A. M'HUGH (Leitrim, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the words used by County Court Judge Orr, at the Licensing Sessions, held in Newry for County of Down, in November last, when he said that every man who voted for public-house licences under ordinary circumstances was a criminal himself; whether any steps will be taken to remove from the magistrates of the County Down this reflection cast upon them by the County Court Judge; and whether he is aware of the strong feeling of indignation among the Justices of County Down owing to the use of such language concerning them by the Judge?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELANDI am informed that Judge Orr does not admit the accuracy of the words attributed to him in the first paragraph. Any observations made by him were directed against the practice of magistrates, in certain cases, in attending Licensing Sessions pledged to 898 vote for particular applicants, regardless of the evidence given or the needs of the locality. I have no power to take any action as suggested in the second paragraph, and I have no reason to believe that the fact is as stated in the third paragraph.