MOTION FOR A SELECT COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 19 May 1874)

§ MR. MELDON

moved that a Select Committee be appointed— To inquire into the expediency of amending the Law relating to the Registration of Parliamentary Voters in Ireland, with a view to facilitate the registration of persons entitled to the franchise, and to prevent frivolous objections; and to report thereon. The hon. Member said, that he had intended to introduce a Bill, but the Chief Secretary for Ireland had suggested to him that the House was not in possession of sufficient information to enable it to legislate on the subject, and therefore he had acceded to a proposal to refer the matter to a Select Committee. The necessity for such a measure as he contemplated was shown by the fact that every year some 4,000 persons who were returned on the lists prepared by the clerk of the union and the poor-rate collectors, as properly qualified persons in the county of Dublin, were disfranchised by objections, scattered broadcast, on the part of both Liberals and Conservatives. Again, in many parts of Ireland, a claimant for a vote had to travel many miles to get his name put on the register; whereas once there he would never have to travel more than four miles to give his vote. In order to obtain the franchise, a farmer or tradesman often, besides travelling a long distance, lost one or two days, incurred considerable expense, and possibly forfeited his employment. Hedged round with such difficulties as these, it was no wonder that such numbers of persons never obtained the benefit of the franchise. The Legislature ought to afford facilities to every person who was entitled to the franchise, to have, as well as to record, his vote. An enormous amount of labour was thrown on the poor-rate collectors in preparing the voting lists, and it was not to be expected that, without any remuneration, the work would be well done. He thought, therefore, the poor-rate collectors should be remunerated for their trouble. He then moved that a Select Committee be appointed, and concluded by expressing a hope that the Government would take up the subject and introduce a Bill upon it next Session.

§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH

said, he did not offer any objection to the appointment of a Committee, because registration was doubtless a complicated and difficult subject; and, looking to the statements that had been made by the hon. Member, he saw no harm in an inquiry into the existing system. He believed, however, there was much less evil caused by party objections in Ireland than elsewhere, as registration was there usually left more in the hands of the constituted authorities than in England. By acceding to the Motion of the hon. Gentleman, he did not wish to imply on the part of the Government that they necessarily admitted there was any fault to be found with the existing system of registration.