§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Chief Secretary when and by whom Mr. James M'Court, of Dundalk, was appointed one of His Majesty's justices of the peace for the borough of Dundalk; whether he is aware that Mr. M'Court has been reported lay an election court for the corrupt practice of bribery, and will he state what proceedings have been taken against Mr. M'Court and if the Attorney-General for Ireland has sent to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland the report of the court and the evidence on which it was based, in accordance with the procedure prescribed by Statute; and will he state on what date the Lord Chancellor' removed Mr. James M'Court's name from the commission of the peace?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLMr. James M'Court was chairman of the council for the Urban District of Dundalk for the year 1910–11, and, as such, was, under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1898, a Justice of the Peace for the town of Dundalk. He ceased to be chairman in March of the present year and, apart from any other disqualification, would then have ceased to be a Justice of the Peace ex officio. Mr. M'Court also held the Commission of the Peace for the county of Louth, having been appointed in the year 1909 by the late Lord Chancellor. On 27th February of the present year Mr. M'Court was reported by the judges who tried the North Louth Election Petition for the corrupt practice of bribery. On 27th March the Attorney-General made his report to the Lord Chancellor in pursuance of the Statute, and on 4th May Mr. M'Court's name was removed from the Commission of the Peace. A Bill of Indictment for the corrupt practice of bribery was sent up to the Grand Jury of the county of Louth at the last Summer Assizes, and a true Bill was found against Mr. M'Court, but the Attorney-General caused an application to be made to the Judge of Assize for an adjournment of the trial on the ground that owing to the intensity of political feeling in the county of Louth a fair trial could not be had there. It is the intention of the Attorney-General to proceed with the trial in some venue other than county Louth.