§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether any representation was made to him regarding the action of the resident magistrates officiating in the Arran Isles, county Galway; is he aware that a complaint was addressed to the Under-Secretary by the parish priest of the islands; was the matter of the complaint investigated; and, if so, is it customary to communicate the result to the complainant, and will this be done?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe parish priest has recently written to the Under-Secretary with reference to the action of the resident magistrate in a case of assault heard at the Petty Sessions in Arran on the 28th ultimo. The Lord Lieutenant has no power to control or interfere with justices in the exercise of their judicial functions, but inquiries are being made into the circumstances of this case, and the reverend gentleman will be duly informed of the result.