§ MR. LONSDALEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the remarks of Judge Curran at the Birr quarter sessions on 7th October, and to his complaint that by direction of the Government a Judge of Assize and Chairmen of Quarter Sessions are not now allowed to be informed as to the state of the county as formerly; and whether it is intended to continue this course.
§ MR. BIRRELLMy attention has been called to a newspaper report of the remarks referred to. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question put by the hon. and gallant Member for East Down on 22nd July, from which it will be seen that the Returns furnished to Judges of Assize are prepared in accordance with the forms approved by the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1904. It has not been the practice to furnish County Court 315 Judges with those Returns, but, for some reason of which I am not aware, an exception has been made in the case of Judge Curran. The Returns supplied to him are in the same form as those furnished to Judges of assize.