The Earl of Glengallwished to ask a question of the noble 735 Marquess opposite—namely, whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Ministers to propose an alteration of the Irish Poor-law with respect to the voting by papers for guardians, and as to the manner in which the returns were afterwards made. The present system gave rise to much confusion, and it opened the door to personation and perjury.
The Marquess of Normanbywas perfectly ready to say, that the attention of her Majesty's Government had already been turned to this point, and care would be taken that the future elections should, as far as possible, be placed on an unobjectionable footing. He saw no reason to alter the law; but the resident commissioner, Mr. Nicholls, had suggested that the clerks of the unions, as in many cases in England, should be employed as returning officers, and they would perform the duty without any party or political feeling. The elections would take place next month, and he had every confidence that the result would be found satisfactory.
The Earl of Glengallfelt, that in many respects the clerks of the unions were as objectionable as any other parties. It was his intention, in a few days, to bring the whole subject before the House.
The Marquess of Westmeathsaid, the substitution of the clerks of the unions for special returning officers would not remove the difficulty complained of by the counties. The mode of voting by papers was highly objectionable. It would be very desirable that the mode of voting should be open—that the names should, in fact, be taken down, so that it might be properly ascertained whether those who came forward had any right whatsoever to vote. One of the worst parts of the system was, that where improper persons were elected there was no remedy. There was no mode by which they could be removed. The number of petitions that was presented last year on this subject sufficiently proved the dissatisfaction that prevailed.
The Marquess of Normanbysaid, he had no recollection of the petitions to which the noble Earl alluded. All he could say was, that although the law might be liable to occasional abuse, every intention existed on the part of the Government to remedy the evil.
The Earl of Fingalldid not think the system was liable to that degree of abuse 736 which noble Lords opposite seemed to suppose.
§ Lord Fitzgeraldsuggested, that instead of converting the clerks of unions into returning officers, it would be better to adopt a stricter method for the election of special returning officers.
The Marquess of Normanbyadmitted that the point was well worthy of consideration, but the suggestion of Mr. Nicholls would be acted on in the meantime as an experiment.
Lord Fitzgerald and Veseyreminded the noble Marquess that the duties of clerks of unions in England were so different from those in Ireland as to afford no analogy whatever in this matter.
Lord Glengallsaid, the experiment had already been tried in Tipperary, where a protest had been signed against it by upwards of eighty rate-payers, and a considerable number of the board of guardians.