§ The Report on the Polling Places (Ireland) Bill, having been brought up,
§ On the Question that the Amendments made by the Committee be read a second time,
§ MR. GREGORYobserved that the Bill in question was brought in for a specific purpose, and with reference to a specific constituency. The object, or, to make use of a milder phrase, the result of the Bill would be to deprive the honest constituency of Dublin of its representation, and to hand over that representation to whatever party might be the least scrupulous in the employment of fraud and personation. He called upon hon. Gentlemen to prevent an attempt of this kind, which would lead to the commission of the crime of perjury. He should conclude by moving that the Report be taken into consideration that day six months.
§ MR. CALEB POWELLsaid, he had listened with great attention to the hon. Member, and he must confess that if he had any doubt before of the necessity of the measure, the speech of the hon. Member would have convinced him. He thought the only effect of the proposed measure would be to enable the honest voter to exercise his franchise; but at present the law had the effect of disfranchising dozens of persons of particular names—for instance, the O's and Mac's—the ancient Milesians, who were perhaps the best entitled to the franchise.
§ MR. W. SMITH O'BRIENcould scarcely believe the Government would lend him itself to a proceeding such as that suggested by the hon. Member for Dublin. He scarcely believed that the independent English Members, who professed to act sometimes without reference to party, would lend themselves to such proceedings, when it was recollected that under the present system there were numbers of persons to whom no opportunity was given of polling within the prescribed time. To give 1142 time for consideration he would move that the debate be adjourned.
§ Debate adjourned.
§ The House adjourned at One o'clock.