§ MR. HEALYasked the President of the Local Government Board, If his attention has been directed to the letter of the Lord Bishop of Raphoe on the divisions of county Donegal by the Boundary Commissioners; if he is aware that His Lordship accuses the Commissioners of "lending themselves to a piece of sharp practice," and with having adopted the scheme put forward by the Conservative agents, "considerably improved in the Conservative interest," that he describes this as a "public scandal;" and, whether, as His Lordship declares the boundaries of Donegal "have been thrown into a state of discreditable confusion," the Government, in view of the position and influence of the Most Rev. Dr. Logue, will refer his letter to the Commissioners, and give them an opportunity of publicly justifying their conduct?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEMy answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. With regard to the third Question, I cannot ask the Commissioners to hold any fresh inquiry into the subject. Her Majesty's Government have adopted, and intend to support, the decisions of the Boundary Commissioners in all cases.
§ MR. HEALYThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the important part of my Question either in the affirma- 1612 tive or in the negative. Will the Government give the Boundary Commissioners an opportunity of justifying their conduct, as this is a matter surely in which they were entitled to some consideration?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEsaid, he intended to answer that part of the Question distinctly in the negative.
§ MR. HEALYI beg to give Notice that on the Motion to go into Committee on the Parliamentary Elections (Redistribution) Bill I will move, as an Amendment, that the single seat system has been specially adopted as a swindle on the people.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe Notice just given by the hon. Member will not appear upon the Paper in that form. The expression is irregular, and ought not to have been used.
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONasked, Whether Mr. Patrick Gallaher, of Strabane, a prominent local Nationalist, spoke of the scheme put forward by the Nationalist as follows:—
The question was, what was best for the Party—the national ticket. They did not care a twopenny ticket physical or geographical considerations provided they could jerrymander the country [laughter]. They could carry all the constituencies, supposing the divisions were left as they were; but they wanted to pulverise them [laughter].
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEIn answer to the noble Lord's somewhat argumentative Question, I wish to state that I would be prepared to discuss this matter in Committee. I am thoroughly aware of the facts of this case, and I had the advantage of going into it this morning with my right hon. Friend the Postmaster General (Mr. Shaw Lefevre), who takes a great interest in this Bill. The noble Lord may not be aware that the Commissioners did not reject all the schemes put forward by the Boundary Commissioners. They adopted the scheme put forward by the Bishop of Raphoe for the Southern portion of the country.
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONI beg your pardon; he does.