§ DR. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)said the object of the Bill he begged leave to introduce was to enable county councils to acquire, under compulsory purchase powers, waste land for the purpose of improving it and letting or selling it as agricultural land to young men who would otherwise emigrate from the country. It gave power to the county council if it considered there was any waste land in the county to acquire it under compulsory powers for agricultural purposes, and to adapt it for occupation by dividing it, fencing it, providing water supply, etc. The council might also erect such buildings as might be necessary on the land or adapt existing buildings for occupation. Furthermore, the county council should not be required to give more than 5s. an acre for these waste lands, and should be empowered to borrow money for the purpose. There were at least a million acres of waste land in Connaught, and thousands of men, women and children had been forced to emigrate from that province in order to live. He thought that if the county councils were allowed to reclaim such land and make it fit for occupation in the way suggested by his Bill it would enable these people, who now had to go elsewhere, to 711 get remunerative employment at home, and it would be for the general benefit of the community at large. By such an Act, land of this kind in Ireland might easily be transformed and used for useful agricultural purposes. He had originally inserted a money clause in the measure, but after further consideration he decided to leave the matter to the bounty of the Government. The Government were prepared to devote millions of money to new land schemes in the three countries, and were also going forward with an old-age pension scheme; therefore, having regard to the objects of his Bill, he did not think it was expecting too much of the Treasury when he asked them to finance it. He begged to move.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed,
§ "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enable county councils in Ireland to acquire and improve and sell or let waste land; and for other purposes."—(Dr. Ambrose.)
§ MR. MOORE (Armagh, N.)said the measure should not be allowed to go through without a word of protest. They were greatly opposed to the idea that the county councils in Connaught—for he understood that the Bill was for the purpose of remedying the state of affairs in that province—should have compulsory powers to buy out any land they chose to call waste land at a maximum rate of 5s. an acre. It opened up a dangerous avenue for confiscation. Whilst letting the Bill pass that day without a division he could assure the House it would meet with opposition at a later stage.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Dr. Ambrose, Mr. Gwynn, Mr. William Redmond, Mr. Meagher, Mr. Lundon, Mr. MacNeill, Mr. Crean, Mr. John Roche, Mr. Duffy, Mr. MacVeagh, Mr. O'Malley, and Mr. M'Hugh.