§ MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has received a copy of a resolution adopted by the Mallow Board of Guardians calling attention to the unnecessarily expensive procedure under the Labourers Acts (Ireland), and asking for the cheapening and simplifying of the present procedure; and, whether he will pay attention to these and similar recommendations on the Second Reading stage of the Labourers (Ireland) Bill?
§ MR. W. ABRAHAM (Cork Co., N. E.)asked whether any provision made to simplify and cheapen procedure under the Labourers Act would apply to the scheme at present under consideration?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe resolution in question has been received. The principal object of the Labourers Bill now before Parliament is to simplify and cheapen the present procedure under the Labourers Acts. In reply to the supplementary Question, if the Bill were passed it would apply to any pending case so far as those cases are not complete—that is to say, the later stages in the transaction would be governed by the provisions of the Bill.
§ MR. FLYNNasked whether, in cheapening and simplifying procedure, it would not be possible to abolish appeals to the Privy Council, which formed one of the most expensive parts of the procedure?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThat has been carefully considered, and we have come to the conclusion that it would not be desirable. The number of cases in which there is an appeal is comparatively small, and we have introduced a provision in the Bill providing that only the opposed part of a scheme will go before the Privy Council, and this will tend to improve the procedure.