§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at the Donegal Assizes held recently not a single Catholic was on the Grand Jury; and whether, having regard to the proportion of the population of the county that is Catholic and to the number of Catholics in the county well qualified to act as grand jurors, he will in future take steps to secure that Catholics shall be represented on the Grand Jury.
§ MR. WALTER LONGI have no means of ascertaining the religion of the Grand Jury. The summoning of the Grand Jury is the act of the High Sheriff under the restrictions contained in the Grand Jury Act. There is no allegation that the provisions of that statute have not been observed. The Executive, therefore, have no right to interfere.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWhy not abolish this thing altogether?
§ MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)How was it that the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor was enabled to ascertain the religion of the Grand Jurors in county Down?
§ [No Answer was returned.]