§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed by the committee of the Belfast Wholesale Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association, Limited, directing the attention of the authorities to the serious loss and inconvenience occasioned to the commercial community of the city of Belfast and district by reason of there being no court for the hearing of civil bill 1399W appeals from July to March, a period of eight months, and to the fact that the winter assize court which has been established in Belfast principally with the object of dealing with these appeals has not yet had conferred upon it the necessary jurisdiction to enable it to do so, although such court has been in existence for five years, and that, notwithstanding the repeated representations of the association, as well as of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce and other bodies representing the trade of the city, no step has been taken to remedy this state of affairs; and whether the Government now propose to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have received a copy of the Resolution in question. The matter referred to has already engaged the attention of the Irish Government, but the inconvenience complained of can only be removed by legislation, which obviously cannot be introduced during the current Session.