§ SIR FREDERICK HEYGATEsaid, he would beg leave to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether the Government intend to make any and what arrangements to obviate the present danger and inconvenience admitted to exist from the insufficient number of polling-places in Ireland; and, whether, no General Election being apparently imminent, similar facilities as to the number and distance of polling-places should not be at once afforded in Ireland to those that exist in England and Scotland? In the absence of the hon. Member for Coleraine (Sir Hervey Bruce) he would also ask the right hon. Gentleman the Question which stood in his name—namely, Whether he intends to introduce a Bill this Session to amend the Irish Civil Bill Acts?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, in reply, said he was not aware of what amount of danger or inconvenience was admitted to exist in Ireland from an insufficient number of polling-places, nor that the applications for additional polling-places had of late years been numerous; but no doubt there were con- 836 siderable imperfections in the present law on the subject, and there were obstacles in the way of the Privy Council acting on the applications which might come or which had come to them, in a few cases, from Quarter Sessions, for additional polling-places. He thought some legislation would be necessary on the subject, and the matter was under consideration. With respect to the Question as to the amendment of the Irish Civil Bill Acts, that matter was under the consideration of the Attorney General for Ireland.