Order discharged; and Bill by leave of this Bill, and the ground on which I of the House) withdraien.

MINUTES ]— SELECT COMMITTFE-Report-MEANS Mr. COURTNEY) (Cornwall,
National Provident Insurance [No. 208].
Cons dered in Committee-EAST INDIA REVENUE
ACCOUNTS),

PRIVATE BILL by Ord r)—Considered as amended of the Session.
-Belfast Main Drainage.

PPLI BI118- First Reading-Tramways Order
in Council Ireland) • [292).

Committee —Report-Municipal Franchise (Ire- turned by the House of Lords, with Amend land, 9).

quest of the hon. Members who now re- Exchequer, speaking in the previous present Belfast. ["No!"] It was ad- debate, stated on behalf of the Governjourned at their instigation at all events, ment that if the House was not afforded and on the pretence that it was desired an opportunity of considering fully the by them that the House should have question of the extension of the munian opportunity of pronouncing an opi- cipal franchise in Ireland, the Irish nion on the general Bill for the exten- Members would, at least, be entitled to son of the municipal franchise in Ire- have this clause inserted in the Bill. land, rather than insert in a Private Relying upon that declaration of the Bil a clause of this kind, which is of a Chancellor of the Exchequer, we claim public nature. Since the adjournment, now that this clause should be inserted on the 31st of May, three weeks ago, in this Private Bill. I cannot underthe general Bill for the extension of the stand why hon. Members for Belfast, or municipal franchise in Ireland has not for the North of Ireland generally, advanced in any degree whatever, and should have any objection to the introthe reason why it has not advanced is duction of this clause into the Bill. I this-that hon. Members who profess a do not believe that it is necessary to strong desire that the House of Com-state at any great length the nature of mons and the House of Lords should our reasons for claiming the introduchave an opportunity of pronouncing an tion of the clause. I believe that the opinion on the measure have blocked | clause commends itself generally to the the Bill. Hon. Members have given common sense of hon. Members; and I Notice from time to time of opposition must say that I shall be greatly surto the Bill, and it has been impos-prised if the hon. Members for Belfast, sible to bring it forward. The hon. Member for the City of Londonderry Mr. Lewis has blocked the Bill. The hon and gailant Member for the Isle of Thanet (Colonel King-Harman, who, although an English Member, is an Irishman, also objects to the measure. In addition, it has been blocked by the hon. Member for Mid Armagh (Sir James Corry). The result has been that the Bill has made no advance, and the House of Lords has had no opportunity of pronouncing an opinion upon it, nor can it have an opportunity of doing so this Session. The House will recollect the great importance of the question. The Belfast Main Drainage Bill proposes to authorize the expenditure of £500,000 on public undertakings in Belfast; and, owing to the restricted nature of the franchise in Belfast, only a fra tion of the population would have an opportunity of pronouncing an opinion on the merits of the scheme. It is proposed under this Bill to impose an annual charge of £35,000 for 35 years on the people of Belfast. What we complain of is that the great majority of the people of the town of Belfast will have no opportunity of expressing an opinion on this expenditure; and if the House sanctions the Bill they would have no opportunity of controlling the Corporation of Belfast with a view to the proper expenditure of this enormous sum of money. The Chancellor of the

some of whom have on more than one occasion advocated the extension of the municipal franchise in Ireland, and some of whom now pretend to be Tory Democrats-I shall be greatly surprised if those hon. Members offer any objection to this very fair proposition of my hon. Friend. I do not think that it will be necessary to prolong the discussion to-day, as the subject has already been rather fully considered by the House; but I have thought it necessary to recall the attention of the House to what occurred on the 31st of May. Having done so, it only remains for me to express my belief that hon. Members generally will be ready to assent to the proposal of my hon. Friend the Member for Sligo Mr. Sexton.

SIR JAMES CORRY (Armagh, Mid: It has been stated by the hon. Member for Mid Tyrone Mr. M. J. Kenny that the Members for Belfast made a bargain with hon. Members below the Gangway that the consideration of this Bill should be adjourned until the question of the Municipal Franchise Bill was settled. Now, what happened was this-hon. Members below the Gangway moved the adjournment of the debate, and when they did so we consented to it, but not on any condition that the Municipal Franchise Bill should be passed, or that this clause should be inserted in the Bill. The Municipal Franchise Bill is in no way our measure. It may be a

C 2

very good thing for the boroughs in any clear and satisfactory decision having Ireland; but still, at the same time, it been arrived at. The hon. Member for is a question which ought to be dealt Sligo stated in the previous discussion with by Her Majesty's Government, and that the Municipal Franchise Bill had not by a private Member. As far as I been rejected by the House of Lords. am personally concerned, I am quite That, I believe, is not the case. The prepared, when the Government take Municipal Franchise Bill has never yet up the question, to give it the best con- been passed in this House. Consesideration in my power; but my con- quently, the House of Lords never had tention now is that a clause of this kind an opportunity of dealing with it, and ought not to be inserted in a Private we do not know how they would deal Bill. I do not see why this Bill should with it if it came before them for conbe treated differently from any other sideration. If the Dissolution had not Private Bill, and I believe it is without been decided upon, the promise made precedent that in a Private Bill of this by the Government was that they would nature a clause such as that proposed give facilities for the Municipal Bill to by the hon. Member for Sligo (Mr. pass through its various stages in this Sexton) should be inserted. We felt House. They have had no opportunity that is the people of Belfast felt-that of doing so owing to the Home Rule it is altogether unnecessary to introduce debate, which was then going on; and a clause of this kind into a Private Bill since the Dissolution has been announced promoted by them for the improvement it has been perfectly impossible for the of the town of Belfast, and I cannot help Government to give any time for the thinking that the Government have discussion of this question. Then what taken a most extraordinary course in we say is that this Bill ought to be supporting any such proposal. The hon. introduced into the next Parliament in Member for Sligo, in the clause which exactly the same position as it occupies he has put down upon the Paper, made now; and hon. Members below the Gangseveral suggestions with reference to the way will then have an opportunity of municipal franchise. For instance, he seeing whether the Municipal Franchise wants to have it assimilated to the Bill is passed or not. I think that the qualification for burgesses of the borough hon. Member for Sligo showed no reason of Dublin, and all boroughs in England whatever on the former occasion why and Scotland, and for such purposes he the usual precedent should be departed asks the House to amend the provisions from, and why a clause of this kind of the Act for the Regulation of Muni- should be inserted in a Private Bill. If cipal Corporations in Ireland, so far as the promoters of the Bill had given regards the borough of Belfast. But Notice of their intention to insert a clause the clause which has been put upon the of this nature in a Private Bill, they Paper does not carry out that object in would have been at once met upon the the least degree. In the first place, it Standing Orders by the charge that they proposes that the term of residence shall were dealing with a great public quesbe changed, which will certainly not tion which was not entitled to be raised assimilate the municipal franchise in in a Private Bill. Then, again, no Belfast to that which prevails in Eng notice has been given to the ratepayers land, Scotland, and Dublin. I certainly of Belfast that any question in reference fail to see why this Bill should be put to the municipal franchise of that boon a different footing from any other rough was intended to be raised in this Private Bill at this period of the Session. Bill. I altogether deny that any barI feel that hon. Members below the gain was made that the Bill should be Gangway would not be in any worse hung up until the Municipal Franchise position than they are now if the Bill is Bill was passed, and I think we are fully ordered to stand over, as other Private entitled to be placed in the same posiBills will stand over, until the next meet- tion on this occasion as the promoters of ing of Parliament. I feel that the ques. other Private Bills without compelling tion involved in this clause is one which us to insert this clause in the Belfast requires a great deal of discussion; and, Bill. I think that no grounds have been it must be remembered that we have shown for the course which has been had Municipal Franchise Bills before adopted, and I therefore oppose the inthis House over and over again without | sertion of the clause.

MR. BIGGAR (Cavan, W.): I have Johnston)-actually introduced a Bill no desire to detain the House. I only this Session for the extension of the wish to say that those hon. Members municipal franchise in all the Irish bowho oppose this clause ought to select roughs. It is quite evident, therefore, one of two courses. They should either that if he really desires to extend the say they will agree to the clause, or municipal franchise he is not likely to that they do not wish to have the support the rejection of this clause. As Bill at all. Practically speaking, the a matter of fact, a large and powerful Bill is a Bill of the Corporation of Bel- section of those who represent the fast; but it is not a Bill of the inhabi- Conservative Party in the North of Iretants of Belfast. It was stated on the land are as strongly in favour of the former occasion that the number of extension of the municipal franchise in eltors who return the Town Council of Ireland as we are; yet, at the same Belfast is something like 5,000, whereas time, there are a number of Members the number of electors on the Parlia- above the Gangway who object to the mentary franchise is something like extension of popular rights, and who 30 000. Therefore, it is perfectly idle accordingly refuse to extend the franfor hon. Members above the Gangway, chise either in Belfast or in any other who, upon all occasions, are ready to Irish municipality. Although hon. Memay how extremely anxious they are bers above the Gangway desire to see that the municipal franchise in Ireland the general principle extended all over should be extended, to maintain that Ireland, they object to the insertion of the franchise in the town of Belfast is in this clause in a Private Bill. When the anything like a satisfactory position. I matter was before the House on a fordo not believe if the Members for the mer occasion the special objection was borough of Belfast were here that they that it was not desirable to deal with the would not be ready to say that they are matter in a Private Act of Parliament; in favour of the extension of the muni- at the same time, hon. Members who cipal franchise in the Irish Parlia- took that objection said they were most mentary boroughs. The hon. Baronet desirous that the general principle who has just sat down Sir James Corry) should be established in regard to all is in a peculiar position. Although he parts of Ireland. Although they may is an inhabitant of Belfast, he is the have privately used their personal inRepresentative of another place-Mid fluence in providing for the blocking of Armagh and it is easy for him to say the Irish Municipal Franchise Bill, it does that if the question of the municipal not seem that this action on their part franchise is brought forward he will has been successful; and the result is that give the matter his careful considera- the Irish Municipal Franchise Bill still tion We know very well what careful awaits Committee, and has never yet consideration means. It means that been able to get into a position in which these Gentlemen will consider the de- it could be sent to the House of Lords, tails of a Bill, and then pass some so that there might be an expression of Amendments which will render the opinion upon it on the part of that measure entirely worthless. If a man House. The position which that Bill now wants to support a Bill he generally occupies is entirely due to the conduct says at once that he will support it, and of the Conservative Members who sit he is not afraid of expressing his above the Gangway. Under these ciropinion. Another peculiar thing in cumstances, I think the House will do regard to this Bill is that although well to agree to the proposition of my the two Members for Belfast, who re- hon Friend the Member for Sligo (Mr. present what is usually called the Town Sexton, and to adopt this Amendment; Council, and who are really the nomi- otherwise I should like to say to hon. nees of that Body, are not hero to oppose Gentlemen above the Gangway that they this clause; on the contrary, the two will be precious well served if the Bill democratic Members-the Members who is thrown out altogether, and they have represent the democratic non-Catholics to begin de noro in a new Session of of Belfast-are conspicuous by their ab- | Parliament. If that were done an opsence; and what is somewhat odd is the fact that one of those Members-the

portunity would be afforded for gauging the general opinion as to whether or not