§ MR. JAMES HASLETT (Belfast, W.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in view of the strongly expressed desire of merchants in the North of Ireland, he will take the necessary steps to establish a local Court of Bankruptcy in Belfast?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)I am aware of the strong desire which exists in Belfast for the establishment of a local Court of Bankruptcy, a desire which appears to me to be perfectly reasonable. I find that successive Governments have introduced Bills for the establishment of such a Court. I need not enumerate all the occasions on which such Bills were introduced. In 1883, when the English Bankruptcy Bill of my right hon. Friend the President of the Local Government Board was before a Grand Committee, clauses were proposed by the Irish Government for extending that Bill to Ireland, and for establishing local Courts of Bankruptcy 1178 in that country; but in consequence of those clauses the passing of the whole Bill was put in peril, and the clauses had to be withdrawn. Since 1883 the Irish Government have not attempted to deal with the matter; and, having regard to the facts which I have recounted, I am afraid that it would be useless for me to promise to bring in any Bill on the subject at present.