§ MR. O'DOHERTYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether representations have been received by the Irish Government from the Roman Catholic priests and people of Portadown requesting the removal of Mr. T. D. Gibson, R.M., from that district, as the Roman Catholics, owing to his decisions in party cases at Portadown petty sessions, had lost all confidence in his impartiality; and whether the Government will have him removed to some other district and appoint another resident magistrate in that district.
§ MR. WYNDHAMRepresentations have been received by the Irish Government requesting the removal from Portadown of Mr. Gibson, the resident magistrate stationed there. These representations have received my own personal attention, and I am satisfied that the imputations of partiality brought against Mr. Gibson are not borne out by the facts. Both he and the District Inspector of Constabulary, against whom, I may mention, complaints have also been freely made, have a difficult and trying duty to discharge at times in Portadown, the great bulk of the population of which is Protestant, and I have no reason to believe that either of these officers has discharged his duty otherwise than in an impartial manner. It is not the intention of the Government to remove Mr. Gibson from Portadown.
§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)Did you not get this information from the police?
§ MR. WYNDHAMNo, Sir; I have personally gone very carefully into the whole question.