§ On the Order for the adjourned Debate on the Motion (15th April) for committal of this Bill to the Select Committee on the Belfast Corporation Bill,
§ MR. VESEY KNOX (Londonderry)said he understood that it would not be necessary further to trouble the House on this Motion. The point they took on the last occasion was that the Armagh Provisional Order applied the rating sections of the Towns Improvement Act, and did not apply the other sections of that Act, by which, among other things, it would have been possible to have a division into wards. The hon. Member for Louth said that he would withdraw the Motion if the Attorney-General for Ireland could show a precedent for this course. The Attorney General had said that there was no precedent exactly in point, but he had consented that the whole of the Towns Improvement Act should be applied by a clause to be inserted in this Bill on condition that provision was made for the existing officers not being dismissed without due cause. In the circumstances, he thought that was a fair condition.
*THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOE IRELAND (Mr. JOHN ATKINSOX,) Londonderry, N.said, he had received a letter from the hon. Member for Mid Armagh stating that the Town Commissioners of Armagh had passed a resolution to the effect that they were willing to have all the clauses of the Town Improvements Act extended to Armagh, if some provision were introduced to protect existing officials from arbitrary dismissal. In Committee there would be no difficulty in introducing a clause to give the desired protection.
§ MR. EDWARD M'HUGH (Armagh, S.)by leave, withdrew the Motion of which he had given notice.
§ Bill committed.