§ Order for Committee read.
§ The House resolved itself into Committee; Mr. Bernal in the chair.
§ Clause 9, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 10.
§ MR. VESEY, pursuant to notice, moved to omit the words "guardians of unions," and to insert "committee of management." All the expenses of the union would be greater as the clause stood.
§ SIR W. SOMERVILLEopposed the Amendment as being against one of the main principles of the Bill, which was, that as far as the districts were concerned, local management should be in the hands of the boards of guardians. If the medical officer were to be placed so completely under the control of the committee of management, many of the present evils would be continued, and the committee would probably look more to the interests of the persons who were appointed than they ought; but if the appointment rested with the boards of guardians, it would be in the hands of a more independent body. 222 He did not think this Committee would either improve the constitution of the medical staff, or the general good working of the Bill, by assenting to the transference of these duties to the committee of management.
SIR D. J. NORREYSobjected to giving these powers to a local committee, as by so doing all the old jobbing existing under the present system would be revived.
§ MR. STAFFORDprotested against assuming any practice in the English poor-law being applicable to the existing mode for relief of the poor in Ireland. As chairman of it board of guardians ho denied that there was any machinery in Ireland for the operation of English modes. He believed that the committee of management was the best repository for the trust proposed to be committed to them, for it was only consistent with the whole clause, which was to give substantial and effective powers of administration to the Poor Law Commissioners.
§ Amendment withdrawn.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Committee report progress; to sit again To-morrow
§ The House resumed.