asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether his attention has been directed to the fact that the warrants issued by the Lord Lieutenant, authorising a domiciliary search for arms in proclaimed districts are not directed to any one by name, but generally to all officers and constables of the constabulary within the county; and, whether the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown has been taken upon the legality of such general warrant?

Sir, that form of warrant was originally settled in 1848, and continued under the advice of the Law Officers of the Crown at the passing of the Peace Preservation Act of 1870. For that reason I have not thought it necessary to ask the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown on the present occasion.

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to make any appointment to the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland; and, if so, whether such appointment will be made before the resumption of legal business in November next?

Sir, the Resolution to postpone for the present the Irish Judicature Bill has been arrived at so recently in consequence of unavoidable circumstances, that the Government have not had the opportunity of considering the course they would pursue with regard to the vacant judicial offices in Ireland; but it is a subject which will engage our immediate attention.

said, he would not at that period of the Session waste the time of the House by reading the Question which he had placed on the Paper. It was to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been directed to the Pamphlets published by the Lord Justice of Appeal on the judicial system of Ireland, and to Correspondence between the Judge of the Landed Estates Court and the Lord Chancellor, and also to Returns recently laid before Parliament on the judicial work in England and in Ireland respectively; and, whether, having regard to the facts stated in those documents, he will, before another Judicature Bill is introduced relating to Ireland, consider the propriety of issuing a Royal Commission, upon which, as in the similar case of England, the general public shall be represented as well as the legal profession, to inquire into the whole judicial system of that country both as regards the superior courts of common law and equity, and the county courts presided over by the assistant barristers or chairmen of counties, and also into the appointment and duties of persons unlearned in the law as stipendiary magistrates in that country?

At this period of the Session it is very considerate on the part of the hon. Member not to read his Question at length. My attention has been called to the pamphlet published by the Lord Justice of Appeal and to other documents; but it is not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to recommend the issue of a Royal Commission before the introduction of another Judicature Bill relating to Ireland, because we believe that we have now all the necessary information in our possession.