Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the action of Mr. Cornelius O'Shea, J.P., in attending Schull Petty Sessions and voting in favour of a man called Roycroft, the Roman Catholic candidate for the vacant post of petty sessions clerk, though he had never attended the Schull District Petty Sessions before, and though warned by a solicitor present not to take part in the election; whether the election of Roycroft has been ratified, and what action, if any, the Lord Chancellor proposes1, to take in the case of Cornelius O'Shea for his action?
§ The VICE-PRESIDENT of the DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE in IRELAND (Mr. T. W. Russell) (for Mr. Birrell)The magistrate referred to attended and voted as stated. He had not previously attended any one of the three Petty Sessions Courts for which the election of a clerk was being held. His vote was disallowed by the Lord Lieutenant. As Mr. Roycroft, the candidate for whom Mr. O'Shea voted did not receive a majority of valid votes, a fresh election has become necessary. The Lord Chancellor has asked Mr. O'Shea for an explanation of his action in attending and voting at the election in question.