§ MR. HERON, in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to diminish the expense and delay of passing Local and Personal Acts relating to Ireland through Parliament, said, the main object of the Bill was to establish a tribunal in Ireland before which all Bills relating to Local and Personal Acts should be brought and examined, instead of sending them direct to Parliament. The machinery for examination of the schemes would be precisely the same as that now applied to the trial of election petitions. The evidence would be taken by a Judge, who would report to a Parliamentary Office in Dublin, similar to the Local Government Office in this country, whereupon a Provisional Order would be issued, which would come before Parliament for confirmation. In order to show the necessity for such a measure, he might observe that in the recent legislation connected with Sligo the expense had been £14,000, that relating to Kingstown £6,000, and that relating to the Dublin Trunk Railway Bill £56,000.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill to diminish the expense and delay of passing Local and Personal Acts relating to Ireland through Parliament, ordered to be brought in by Mr. HERON, Mr. PIM, and Mr. BAGWELL.
§ Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 26.]