Mr. O'Connellpresented a Petition from the Inhabitants of Borris, in the county of Carlow, complaining of the present mode of registering freeholds before the Assistant Barrister. The petitioners stated, that if the present system were continued, Ireland stood a chance of being converted into a close borough.
§ Mr. Henry Grattansaid, that he found the Registering Act, in several counties, to operate as a bar to freeholders.
Mr. Dominick Brownesaid, that in one county, Galway, 400 or 500 persons had, under the existing system, been registered as freeholders, though they had no proper claim to that right.
Mr. O'Connellcorroborated the statement of the hon. member for Mayo. The system under the Registry Act was bad, and he hoped, that, under the new Bill, a regular session would be set apart for the registration of freeholds. The whole system at present was bad, and he hoped, that it would be amended.
Sir Robert Inglisregretted, that these observations were not made in a fuller House. The hon. member for Meath stated, that the registration was a bar to securing the rights of freeholders, and he hoped the hon. Member would repeat that observation in the presence of those Members who declared for the Bill, and the whole Bill.
Mr. O'Connellsaid, the evils which exist in Ireland would be remedied by the English Reform Bill.
§ Mr. John Campbellsaid, the system of registering votes had prevailed in Scotland for many years, and had been attended with beneficial effects. That was, perhaps, the only part of the representative system of Scotland that was worthy of imitation.
Mr. Keith Douglaswished the House to remember, that the number of freeholders in Scotland was very small, and the same system that answered very well there would not answer for the numerous freeholders of England.
§ Petition to lie on the Table, and be printed.