§ MR. M'CARTHY DOWNINGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, When he intends to introduce the Bill for the abolition of the Second Judgeship in the Landed Estates Court in Ireland; and, whether he will object to lay upon the Table of the House, Copies of the Correspondence which has taken place on the subject between the Treasury and the Executive in Dublin, and the officials of the said Court? He wished to know, also, what course the noble Lord intends to take with reference to the Report of the Select Committee on the Law of Rating (Ireland)?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON,in reply, said, that the Bill for the abo- 730 lition of the Second Judgeship in the Landed Estates Court was in preparation; but that he could not say when he would be able to lay it on the Table of the House. Whenever he introduced the Bill he would also lay the Correspondence on the subject on the Table. With respect to the other Question of the hon. Gentleman, he could only say that he had been in hopes that the labours of the Committee would have resulted in producing, if not complete unanimity, at all events some mitigation of the differences of opinion which existed on the question with which they had to deal. He, however, regretted to find that such had not been the case, and that these differences of opinion were by no means confined to one side of the House. It appeared, therefore, to the Government that to introduce a Bill on the subject during the present Session would lead to a very considerable expenditure of time, possibly, without any satisfactory result, not to mention the reception which such a measure might receive in" another place," which, under the circumstances he had just mentioned, was somewhat doubtful. The subject also appeared to be one which might be more properly dealt with whenever the general question of local taxation and local government in Ireland came to be considered as a whole—a time which, in his opinion, could not be very much longer delayed. That being so, it was not the intention of the Government to introduce any measure founded on the Report of the Committee. He might, however, add that, as he entirely concurred in that Report, he would deem it to be his duty to support the Bill dealing with the question which stood on the Paper for second reading that evening.