CLAUSE 59. (Hansard, 23 May 1898)

MR. T. M. HEALY
The object of this Amendment is to make the electoral division a polling district for all purposes. It appears to me that it would be a remarkable thing if the electoral division is to be the polling district of the district and county councils, while for Parliamentary purposes the voters would have to go much longer distances.

§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR
This Amendment had better be withdrawn now, in order that the subject may be considered later on.

MR. T. M. HEALY
This Amendment is one which is, I think, entitled to favourable consideration. May and June 502 are not at all good months for Ireland, but July would be a very favourable month.

§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR
But would not July be a worse time from an agricultural point of view than May?

MR. T. M. HEALY
Not in Ireland.

§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR
The slackest time of the year is May.

§ MR. MURNAGHAN
The people are engaged in harvesting in July. May is better than June.

MR. T. M. HEALY
Of course it is, and April would be undoubtedly better than May.

§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR
June.

§ MR. M. HEALY
As you are making this change, would it not be as well to make it also operative in the case of urban areas? If that is not done there will be one day for the county councils, another day for the urban areas, and perhaps another day for some other body. There is no reason in the world why they should not all take place at the same time. I beg to move after the word "councillors" to insert the words "and commissioner."

§ MR. TULLY
I do not think it would be right that the election of town commissioners should be on a different day to what is mentioned in the Bill.

§ MR. JORDAN
I do not think it should be changed.

§ MR. CLANCY
The object of this Amendment is to postpone the day of election for the county borough of Dublin from the 25th November to the 31st January. The Amendment has been sug- 504 gested by the persons who have to do the work of revision in Dublin. At present, and for many years past, it has been only with very great difficulty that the work of revision has been completed.

§ MR. M. HEALY
This difficulty exists not merely in the case of Dublin, but in the case of constituencies having a large number of voters. By the Bill as it stands, the local register of electors must be completed on the 10th day of November. The revision does not commence till the last day of October. I am speaking of the Parliamentary revision, which closes on the 28th August. Now, there is a very simple way of getting out of this difficulty. At present the most unnecessary time is taken for revision, which is supposed to commence on the 31st September. There is no reason why it should not commence on the 1st September, because the last day is the 28th August, and the work completed in a month if the Government appoints the revising barrister in proper time. The time given now is 20 days, and the fee of the revising barrister is limited to 100 guineas. Of course, if this suggestion were adopted it would involve an alteration of the time for Parliamentary revision—that necessarily follows—but I think there might be some postponement of the municipal elections, so that the first meeting of the new councils might be before Christmas, and the mayor come into office on the 1st January just as he does at present; but by taking that course, and by commencing the Parliamentary revision on the 1st September, there will be ample time for preparing the list.

§ MR. GERALD BALFOUR
No doubt these difficulties exist, and I will undertake to consider this question before Report; but it is certain that one of two things will have to be done—either the revision must be taken earlier or the municipal elections must be put off till a later date.

§ MR. CLANCY
I have no objection to adopting the suggestion of the honourable Member for Cork, although I do not agree with all he has said on the subject, because I speak front practical know- 505 ledge of the registration work in Dublin for many years. The time that elapses between the revision and the election if too short. We have had proof of that in Dublin before, and it will arise again. Personally, I think that the postponement of the municipal elections will meet the difficulty.

MR. FIELD
I quite agree with what the honourable Member has said, and I think that by adopting his suggestion the difficulties which exist would be removed. I desire to make one other observation, and that is, that I may tell the honourable Member for Cork that the 14th December would be an entirely unsuitable date.