§ This Act may be cited as the Health Resorts and Watering-Places (Ireland) Act, 1909.
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRY moved, after "1909," to insert the words, "and shall apply to Ireland only."
§ Mr. HAYBefore this Amendment is accepted, would the Government be good enough to give the House a full explanation as to its purport?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYI was under the impression that no objection would be taken to the last Amendment reducing the rate from twopence to a penny. As regards the present Amendment it explains itself quite plainly; the Bill is only intended to apply to Ireland.
§ Mr. WATSON RUTHERFORDSome of us do not understand why a Bill of this kind, which would apply to the whole of the United Kingdom, should now, at the last moment, be made by this Amendment to apply to Ireland only. If the Bill, as drafted, only applied to Ireland what then is the necessity for this Amendment?
§ Mr. JEREMIAH MacVEAGHThe Bill, as introduced, applied to Ireland only. The title of the Bill is the "Health Resorts and Watering Places (Ireland) Bill" and it could not possibly, therefore, apply to England. It is in the exercise of the legal caution of the Government draftsman that this Amendment is introduced. It was necessary to make it clear that the Bill applied to Ireland only because the hon. Baronet the Member for the City of London (Sir F. Banbury) would not allow it to pass otherwise.
§ Mr. HAYIt is quite clear from what has fallen from the hon. Member who has just spoken that the sooner he takes his place upon the Treasury Bench the better, because when we ask for information from the hon. and learned Solicitor-General for Ireland he gives, if I may say so without disrespect, information that is misleading. I can only say, so far as I am concerned, that the passage of such Bills as this one is not facilitated by the conduct of the Government this evening.
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRY moved the following:—