§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he could state how many persons were appointed justices of the peace in Ulster from the 31st of January, 1906 to the 31st of March, 1907; how many of the justices so appointed were Catholics; and, whether he would order a Return to be prepared setting forth the names of those appointed, their religious persuasion, and the districts for which they were appointed.
§ (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Lord Chancellor informs me that, during the period mentioned in the Question, he signed warrants for the appointment of 241 magistrates for Ulster exclusive of the borough of Belfast, and 136 of these magistrates are believed to be Catholics. During the same period twenty-seven appointments were made to the commission of the peace, for the borough of Belfast, but the Lord Chancellor has no information as to the religious belief of the persons appointed. It would be contrary to practice to grant a Return setting forth the religious persuasion of magistrates individually. The Lord Chancellor also thinks it undesirable to state the petty sessions districts to which individual magistrates have been assigned. The allocation of magistrates to districts is a matter which rests entirely with the Lord Chancellor himself, and he has frequent occasion to vary the districts so assigned.