§ Clause brought up, and read the first time.
Mr. HAZLETONI desire to move this new Clause which I handed in in manuscript. I do not intend at this stage of the proceedings to press it, however. I want to draw the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the matter, which has been raised to some extent by the speech delivered this afternoon by the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Cambridge University (Mr. Rawlinson), who has referred to the fact that it would be possible to raise the Police Tax in the City of Dublin. My Amendment, if adopted, would be rather in the other direction. The
| THIRD SCHEDULE. | |||
| Acts Repealed. | |||
| Session and Chapter. | Short Title. | Extent of Repeal | |
| 6 and 7 Will. IV., c. 13 | … | Constabulary (Ireland); Act, 1836 | Section 17, from "whatsoever" where it last appears, to "Freemasons." |
| 6 and 7 Will. IV., c. 29 | … | The Dublin Police Act, 1836 | Section 44, from "whatsoever" where it last appears, to "Freemasons" |
§ Schedule brought up, and read the first time.
§ Mr. MULDOONI beg to move, "That the Schedule be read a second time."
I might suggest that a provision preserving the interests of those who have already joined the society might, perhaps, more conveniently be inserted after the new Clause 4.
§ Police Tax in the Metropolitan Police? District of Dublin has been a burning grievance for a great many years with the ratepayers and citizens. It is not so much that they complain that there is any difference in treatment as compared with local authorities in this country where-there is acharge for the maintenance of a local police force, but where the difficulty comes in is whereas in Manchester, or any city in this country, the local police forces are under the control of the local authority, in the city of Dublin, neither the City Council nor any of the various urban authorities in the area have one single word of control or any power whatever over the Dublin Metropolitan Police. I urge the Chief Secretary to look into this matter, and to see if there is not some way, either by a special Bill or on further stages of this Bill, of dealing with the anomaly which exists that whereas the citizens of Dublin are called upon to pay this tax, which is the highest one in the whole of the United Kingdom, they have no control over the police.
§ The CHAIRMANI confess I did not understand this manuscript Clause when the hon. Member handed it in, but as he has explained it, it is quite outside the scope of the Bill. We are not dealing with the sources from which the money is obtained; we are dealing only with how it is paid.
§ Schedules I. and II. agreed to.
§ New Schedule—
§ Mr. DUKEI think the object desired by the hon. Member could be attained by inserting, at the end of the first paragraph in the third column, the words "so far as respects persons who join the Royal Irish Constabulary after the commencement of this Act" and, at the end of the second paragraph in the third column, the words "so far as respects persons who-join the Dublin Metropolitan Police after 537 the commencement of this Act. "I think that that will meet the hon. Member's view. But if he thinks it would be more artistic to do it in a different manner on Report, I dare say we shall not quarrel over that.
§ Schedule read a second time.
§ Mr. DUKEI beg to move, at the end of the first paragraph in the third column, to insert the words "so far as respects persons who join the Royal Irish Constabulary after the commencement of this Act."
§ Mr. DUKEIt is the same thing. "Commencement" is the technical expression for its coming into operation.
Colonel CRAIGI want to enter a protest against this proposal in order that it may be recorded that I did so. I do not intend to press my objection further than to say, as a member of the Masonic Order, that I do not think it is necessary that this step should be taken. I see the point of view of hon. Members below the Gangway—that, if there is to be a restriction, so far as joining any of these societies is concerned, there should be no exception whatever. Hitherto the Masonic Order has taken a place entirely by itself. It takes no political part whatever in the life of Ireland, nor, as far as I know, in the life of England. At the same time, I am fully alive to the fact that, as it is a secret society, hon. Members say that if there is to be a rule that men of the Royal Irish Constabulary are not to be permitted to join any secret society, the rule must apply here also, and with this protest I am prepared to waive my objection. I hope, however, that members of the Order, whether inside or outside the House, will not regard it as any slur upon the society. We are in the midst of a great war and we all have to sacrifice something. I have none of my Friends here to support me or even to advise me in this matter. Therefore I simply enter my protest, and, faced with the fact that we want to show a united front wherever we can, and in the interests of the discipline of the force, I withdraw my opposition.
§ Amendment agreed to.
538§ Further Amendment made: At the end of the second paragraph, in the third column, insert the words "so far as respects persons who join the Metropolitan Police after the commencement of this Act."—[Mr. Duke.]
§ Schedule, as amended, added to the Bill.
§ Bill reported; as amended, to be considered upon Tuesday next.