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Amendment proposed—
Clause 20, page 10, line 17, at end, add—
And (c) where the Local Government Board constitute any urban county district or county borough, or part of such district or borough, a district electoral division returning more than one guardian, each elector may give one vote and no more far each of any number of persons, not exceeding the number of guardians to be elected for that division; and (d) an elector shall not at the same election vote for the members, whether district councillors or guardians, of a board of guardians for a union in more than one district electoral division in that union.'"—(Mr. Gerald Balfour.)
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURproposed this Amendment, and said that he had a further Amendment to make to it which was little more than a verbal alteration.
§ MR. M. HEALY (Cork)objected to the proposed alteration. He said that the Government had put down the Amendment in a particular form—he had examined the form and found it a correct one—and then without notice the Government proposed to change the Amend- 1128 ment. He suggested that that was an inconvenient course, and that it would be better to let the Amendment stand as it originally stood. Then, if on the Report stage an Amendment was thought to be necessary, by all means let it be made. Having examined the matter, and being especially interested in a constituency which would be especially affected by the Amendment, he certainly thought that it was much better as it was in the original form, and he hoped the right honourable Gentleman would not insist upon the proposed change, which was not a good one.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURTo save time I will leave the Amendment as it was originally on the Paper.
§ The Amendment to the Amendment was, by leave, withdrawn.
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Question put and agreed to—
That the amendment stand part of the clause.
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Amendment proposed—
Page 10, line 17, add—
'Provided always that, notwithstanding anything in this Act, every urban district shall be entitled to the same number of guardians as such district
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was immediately preceding the passing of this Act entitled to, and whether such district was constituted as one or more poor law electoral divisions, and the Local Government Board may, on the application of the urban district council of any urban district, for the purposes of the Poor Relief (Ireland) Acts, 1838 to 1892, divide such district into wards corresponding to the number of guardians returnable by such district, or otherwise.'"—(Mr. Horace, Plunkett.)
§ MR. H. PLUNKETT (Dublin Co., S.)I am not quite clear whether the Amendment which the right honourable Gentleman has just moved has done away with the necessity for mine. I see that this Amendment contemplates more than one guardian for each electoral division. I cannot find any clause or consequential Amendment giving effect to this in the Bill. Perhaps the right honourable Gentleman will explain to me exactly how the matter stands.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThere is no need to do that. We shall leave things as they are. All that my Amendment will do will be to prevent its being necessary for the Local Government Board to divide an area into single member constituencies for the return of guardians. There is no need for any consequential Amendment. My right honourable Friend's Amendment is one which we cannot accept. In many places the electoral district extends beyond the area of the urban district, and the guardian representing such electoral district represents an area beyond the town. The second part of the Amendment is, I think, unnecessary. You comprise all the electoral districts into one, which, in my opinion, there is no need for.
§ MR. H. PLUNKETTI am quite satisfied if the right honourable Gentleman can assure me that, approximately, the townships will have the same number of poor law guardians that they now return. We do not want absolutely the same, but approximately.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Local Government Board will take into consideration all matters which they properly ought to take into consideration. I think it would be unwise to constitute the number of guardians for the urban districts exactly.
§ MR. H. PLUNKETTI am quite prepared to withdraw the Amendment.
§ The Amendment was, by leave, withdrawn.
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Question put and agreed to—
That Clause 20, as amended, stand part of the Bill.