§ Viscount Morpethhad to state, that the only alteration of any material character which he intended to propose in committee on the Parliamentary Voters (Ireland) Bill, was to raise the amount of rating which was to confer the elective franchise for counties from 5l. to 8l.
§ Mr. C. Woodwished to know whether it were intended to produce the informa- 971 tion which he had suggested ought to be laid before the House respecting the number of persons now entitled to vote in Ireland, the voters being classified according to the nature of their respective qualifications, and the returns showing the numbers in each class. They might not be able to obtain this information as regarded the whole of Ireland, but they ought to be furnished with it to such extent as was practicable before they proceeded to legislate on the measure to which his noble Friend had just adverted. It seemed to him that they would be proceeding in the dark if they came to a determination as to the amount of the rate without this information. He wanted to know if it was to be procured, and when?
§ Viscount Morpethsaid, that instructions had been forwarded to the office of the Poor-law commission in Ireland to furnish this information, and great stress had been laid on the expediency of its being communicated to the House without delay. It had not readied his hands, but he begged to say, that it should be presented to the House without a moment's unnecessary delay.