§ THE EARL OF ST. GERMANS moved the second reading of this Bill, the object of which was to regulate the keeping of dogs and for the protection of sheep and other property in Ireland from dogs; this purpose the Bill proposed to accomplish by requiring the owner of any dog to take out a licence in the petty sessions of the district in which he may reside. The licence would be 2s. for each dog yearly; and there would be a further registration fee of 6d. The money arising from these fees was to be applied in the first instance to defray the cost and expenses of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and the Registrar, and the surplus was to be handed over to the county or borough treasurer to be applied in aid of the borough and county rates. From the multitude of dogs in Ireland it was calculated that the licence would produce upwards of £20,000 annually, and as the expenses of working the Act would be very small, the relief to the cess-payers would be considerable.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(The Lord Steward.)
THE EARL OF CORKsaid, there could be no greater nuisance than that of dogs in Ireland, and therefore he approved the principle of this Bill; but, at the same time, he feared that what was everybody's business would in this case be found to be nobody's business. When a similar Bill was introduced on a former occasion, one of the clauses provided that inspectors and sub-inspectors of police should act as prosecutors in cases where dogs had not been duly registered, whereas this Bill merely enacted registration, but provided no means of enforcing penalties in case of neglect. He gave notice that when the Bill went into Committee he should move a clause giving power to the police to prosecute for non-registration.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next.