§ Mr. FETHERSTONHAUGHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether any persons other than Mr. Peter M'Girr, publican, of the public-house now sometimes known as the Imperial Hotel, Aughnacloy, were, in December last, made justices of the peace for county Tyrone on the recommendation of the Vice-President of the Board of Agriculture; was the Vice-President's recommendation of Peter M'Girr conveyed to the Lord Chancellor in the month of December, 1909, when it was obvious that an election was impending in South Tyrone at which the Vice-President would be a candidate; were any other persons appointed justices in any other part of Ireland, within two months of the General Election, on the recommendation of a candidate; and, if it be not a new practice to appoint publicans to be justices, on the eve of an election, on the recommendation of a candidate, will he suggest that the practice ought to be changed so as to remove even the appearance of an abuse of the power of appointment to meet political needs?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs I have already stated in reply to a question asked by the hon. Member on 25th April last, the Lord Chancellor does not consider it desirable to make a practice of stating the sources from which applications for appointment to the magistracy have reached him in individual cases other than those recommended to him by the Lieutenant of the county. As regards the remainder of the question, I must refer the hon. Member to my reply to the question on the same subject asked by him on 21st April last.