§ Order for Committee read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair."—(Mr. Plunket.)
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)Sir, this scheme proposes, for the relief of the Treasury, to draw upon a fund created by the fees in bankruptcy proceedings. The result is that by appropriating money for the building of offices the fund will be depleted, and the fees charged in bankruptcy proceedings correspondingly raised. In that way the intention of the Legislature, in passing the Act of 1883, will be entirely set aside, and the proceed- 1588 ings under it rendered unsatisfactory by reason of unfair charges on the estates. I shall, therefore, oppose your leaving the Chair, Mr. Speaker, unless there is some assurance given by the Government that the amount lost to the creditors under this Bill will be made good.
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. PLUNKET) (Dublin University)This is only a formal stage of the matter, although it is, of course, a necessary stage. The Bill resulting will go before a Hybrid Committee. I do not quite understand the objection of the hon. Member. [Mr. ARTHUR O'CONNOR: Where are you going to get the money?] The 11th clause of the Bill provides that—
All expenses incurred by the Commissioners under this Act shall be defrayed by the Treasury out of any surplus paid over to them out of the Bankruptcy Estates Account in pursuance of Section 76 of the Bankruptcy Act, 1883: provided that, if after any sum in respect of such expenses has been paid, the Board of Trade1 notify to the Treasury that an amount is required to answer the demands in respect of bankrupts' estates, and the securities and moneys held by the Treasury on the account mentioned in the said Section 78, are insufficient to pay the amount so required, the Treasury shall, for the purpose of meeting the deficiency, charge on, and pay oat of, the Consolidated Fund, or the growing produce there of, the gum expended in pursuance of this section, or such part thereof as appears to them to be required.Money will he found out of these funds, and the Treasury will make good such sums as may be called upon.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Matter considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Resolved, That it is expedient to authorise the grant, out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom, of a sum to meet any deficiency which may arise is the payment of the expenses of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings incurred under the provisions of any Act of the present Session for the acquisition of property and the provision of new buildings for the Bankruptcy Department.
§ Resolution to be reported upon Monday next.