§ Bill, as amended, considered.
§ SIR ARTHUR GUINNESS,in moving the following clause:—
("Persons to be excluded from being sheriff or honorary burgesses.)No person who has been convicted of felony, or any misdemeanour, shall be capable of being elected as high sheriff or to the rank of honorary burgess,said, it was not necessary that he should enter into arguments on the subject. He would only remark that it had been found necessary to introduce a similar clause into the Poor Law Act.
§ New clause (Persons to be excluded from being sheriffs or honorary burgesses,)—(Sir Arthur Guinness,)—brought up, and read a first time.
§ On Question, "That the clause be now read a second time?"
§ MR. GIBSONsaid, he believed the hon.and learned Member for Limerick (Mr. Butt) had something to say with regard to the clause. The objection taken was as to the nature of the misdemeanour that ought to bar the appointment. He should therefore advise his hon. Friend the Member for the City of Dublin (Sir Arthur Guinness) to make his clause run to the effect that no person convicted of felony should be capable of being elected. With that modification he thought the Motion was free from the objection suggested. He wouldaccordingly move an Amendment that the proposed clause be amended by leaving out the words "or any misdemeanour.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ On the Motion of Mr. Gibson, clause further amended, by striking out the words "as high sheriff or."
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Clause, as amended, read a second time, and added to the Bill.
§ MR. GIBSON (for Mr. I. T. Hamilton),proposed to move the following clause:— 662
(On failure of town council to appoint, the Lord Lieutenant may appoint a sheriff.)In case any of the said town councils shall neglect or refuse to appoint a fit person to be sheriff on the day, or within the time, and in manner provided by this Act, it shall be lawful for the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, at any time before the thirtieth day of November then next ensuing, to appoint a fit person to be such sheriff; and every person so appointed shall have and exercise all the powers, privileges, and duties pertaining to a sheriff appointed by a town council under this Act.On objection being taken—
§ Mr. SPEAKERruled that the clause could not be moved in the absence of the hon. Member for the county of Dublin (Mr. I. T. Hamilton).
§ Sir ARTHUR GUINNESSmoved as an Amendment, in Clause 3, page 2, line 2, to leave out "appoint a fit person," and insert—
Select three persons qualified to fill the said office of sheriff, and shall within fourteen days thereafter, notify to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the names of the persons so selected, arranged in alphabetical order, and the Lord Lieutenant shall, within seven days from the receipt by him of such notification, appoint one of the persons so selected.
§ Mr. M. BROOKSmoved to amend the proposed Amendment by leaving out the words "arranged in alphabetical order."
§ Amendment amended, and agreed to.
§ On Motion of Mr. Gibson, clause further amended, by leaving out in page 2, line 7, "in manner hereinafter mentioned;" and in page 2, line 8, by inserting after "oaths," the word "now."
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ SIR ARTHUR GUINNESSmoved, as an Amendment, in Clause 4, page 2, line 14, to leave out the words after "respectively," and insert—
Select three persons qualified to fill the said office of sheriff, and shall, within fourteen days thereafter, notify to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the names of the persons so selected, arranged in alphabetical order, and the Lord Lieutenant shall, within seven days from the receipt by him of such notification, appoint one of the persons so selected to be sheriff.
§ MR. M. BROOKSmoved the omission in the proposed Amendment of the words "arranged in alphabetical order."
§ MR. BUTTsaid, that the English law on the same subject was that the corporation had the absolute nomination of the sheriff. That was obtained by an Act passed in 1871, which was adopted on the Report of a Select Committee;and now it was proposed that the Lord Lieutenant was to have the final selection of the sheriff. Although objecting to it, they had made up their minds that it was not worth while opposing it.
§ Amendment amended, and agreed to.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ SIR ARTHUR GUINNESSmoved, as an Amendment, in Clause 8, page 3, line 8, to leave out the whole of the clause after the word "may or" in line 8, and insert—
Select three persons qualified to fill the said vacancy, and shall, within seven days thereafter, notify to the Lord Lieutenant the names of the persons so selected, arranged in alphabetical order, and the Lord Lieutenant shall, within seven days from the receipt by him of such notification, appoint one of the persons so selected to fill the said vacancy, or to he in the room of the persons so refusing, superseded, dying, or becoming incapable.
§ MR. M. BROOKSmoved to amend the proposed Amendment by omitting the words relating to alphabetical order.
§ Amendment, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ MR. GIBSONthen moved, as an Amendment, in Clause 12, after the word "privilege" in line 42, "or to be elected to any corporate office."
§ Amendment proposed, in page 3, line 42, after the word "privilege," to insert the words "or to be elected to any corporate office."—(Mr. Gibson.)
§ Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."
§ CAPTAIN NOLANsaid, it would be very unfortunate if the Bill did not pass. The Forms of the House had prevented them having a full discussion of the Bill; but if it were not passed now, it would lead to great irritation in Ireland, not on account of the Bill itself, but of the manner in which Irish Business was conducted in Parliament.
§ MR. GIBSONobserved, that the Notices had been on the Paper for the last two months; but if there was any misconception on the subject, the consideration of the matter could be adjourned.
§ MR. M. BROOKSsaid, he did not attach the importance to the matter which the hon. Gentleman seemed to do.
§ Further Proceeding adjourned till Monday.