§ Considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ [Mr. J. W. LOWTHER, Cumberland, Penrith, in the Chair.]
§ MR. CALDWELLsaid that in the case of Scotland there was a dispensing power given to the Local Government Board of not insisting upon the deportation of a pauper, and the object of the clause he had put upon the Paper was to give the same power to the Local Government Board in England. His contention was that in dealing with the deportation of paupers the law should as far as possible be uniform throughout the Kingdom. He understood that the objection was that the Board had not the staff for the purpose of inquiring into these matters, but that was really no argument whatever. If the thing was right and proper in itself, the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not say one word against having a sufficient staff to carry out purposes sanctioned by Parliament.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.said there was no necessity for this power in the case of England. What the Bill proposed was that should an Irish person apply for relief in any union in England, and it was proved before a magistrate that the person had lived for five years in England, a status of irremovability should be conferred by that fact. As this was a very old question, which had been discussed for thirty or forty years, he hoped the Bill would be allowed to go through without opposition.
§ MR. CALDWELLpointed out that the same argument applied to Scotland as to England, and all he asked was that the same powers should be given in both cases. He did not wish to delay the Bill in any way. The Amendment was not put down in that spirit, but merely to show that the point was brought up 148 when the Bill was passing through Committee, and that the Government would not accept it.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLsaid the Local Government Board had carefully considered this matter, but did not think they could take upon themselves the responsibility involved.
§ Bill reported without Amendment; road the third time, and passed.