RESOLUTION. (Hansard, 30 July 1883)

§ MR. HEALY
asked for some explanation with regard to the salaries under the Bill. The Government were making arrangements for certain officers; but no provision was made for the general officers, and he would suggest to the Attorney General for Ireland that when this matter came before the House again he should consider the question of giving superannuation to the existing staff. He thought they were as much entitled to superannuation as some of the higher officers. Then he did not see why the Clerks of the Peace under the Bill should receive an unfair advantage over other Clerks of the Peace. The right hon. Gentleman must be prepared for a certain amount of pressure as to the financial arrangements, and he objected to certain of' the details. The Irish section of the Bill had not had the advantage of going through the Grand Committee. Was it proposed to re-commit the Bill with respect to the Irish clauses, seeing that Irish Members had not had an opportunity of discussing the Bill in Grand Committee or in the House?

§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. PORTER)
said, the Bill now before the House did not refer to the Irish clauses; but, in any event, the House had not yet determined what course to take. After the Report there would be an opportunity of considering the Irish clauses, and that was the intention of the Government.

§ MR. CALLAN
said, that until a more satisfactory answer was given he should move the adjournment of the debate. The Attorney General for Ireland had been incidentally asked a question of great importance; but he had carefully avoided answering it. The Bill had been referred to a Grand Committee, where it could be discussed more freely, and in greater detail, than in Committee of the Whole House; but the Irish clauses were withdrawn from the consideration of the Grand Committee, and there was no discussion upon them. The question now was, whether the Government would venture to attempt to withdraw these clauses, not only from the Grand Com- 1092 mittee, but from the Committee of the Whole House? He hoped an answer would be given upon this point; but he wished to ease his hon. Friend's mind by assuring him that there would be no greater charge put upon Ireland. It was rumoured that the Attorney General intended to bring in a new clause, providing that one of the present Judgeships should be abolished, and the salary be allocated to superannuation, and that the other Judge should be promoted to the Irish Judicial Bench on the first vacancy, and so deprive himself and the Irish Solicitor General of the ordinary chance they would have of reaching the safe haven of the Judicial Bench before this Government went out entirely. If that was true, he thought it would satisfy his hon. Friend as to the disinterestedness of the Attorney General for Ireland.
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Debate be now adjourned." —(Mr. Callan.)

§ MR. SPEAKER
The hon. Member, by moving the adjournment of the debate, prevents the right hon. and learned Gentleman from discussing the Question before the House.

§ MR. CALLAN
said, he did not wish the right hon. and learned Gentleman to discuss that Question; he only wished him to answer the question.

§ MR. SPEAKER
By the indulgence of the House, the right hon. and learned Gentleman might reply.

§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. PORTER)
said, that all he could reply was that the Irish clauses had been carefully prepared, and they would be brought up on Report.

§ MR. BIGGAR
said, the right hon. and learned Gentleman's reply seemed to be very unsatisfactory. The Amendments put on the Paper by the right hon. and learned Gentleman occupied 12 pages—

§ MR. SPEAKER
The hon. Member is not in Order in discussing this matter until the Bill is called on for consideration. All these points will be dealt with then. The Question now before the House is simply a Resolution.

§ MR. BIGGAR
said, it seemed to him to be an important question to what extent the officials of the Bankruptcy Court in Ireland would be provided for, and more especially the Judges. There 1093 were two Judges of the Bankruptcy Court at present, but who were, practically, only one. Would any provision be made in this Bill by which the first promotion should not go to the Irish Attorney General?

§ MR. SPEAKER
The hon. Member is discussing a Bill which is not now before the House.

§ MR. BIGGAR
said, Clerks of the Peace were gentlemen who got from £1,200 to £1,500 a-year, and in some cases they also practised their profession. The Bill would increase their salaries. In the old time there was some excuse for their getting salaries for political services; but that was not the case now, because the appointments now generally went by popular vote. He protested against this Resolution being passed in the interest of men who were already paid for the services they performed.

§ MR. O'DONNELL
said, he thought the course which ought to be adopted with regard to the matter before the House had been very clearly indicated by the spokesman of the Government. It was evident that the value of the points now raised could not be thoroughly appreciated, and could not be fully discussed, except in connection with the Bankruptcy Bill which was before the House. The right hon and learned Gentleman the Attorney General for Ireland (Mr. Porter) had pleaded, in reply to questions from the Irish Benches, his inability to give a full answer to those questions, because the Bankruptcy Bill, as amended, was not the Bill they were now discussing. It seemed to him (Mr. O'Donnell) that the proper and most business-like course to pursue was to postpone the consideration of those debateable matters until the other debateable matters upon which these depended had been considered. In this way the House would have the full benefit of the legal erudition which the right hon. and learned Attorney General for Ireland was so anxious to contribute on the subject, but which, unfortunately, he was prevented from contributing in consequence of the Bankruptcy Bill, as amended, not being now before the House.
Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
Original Question put, and agreed to.