§ House in Committee (according to Order).
§ Clauses 1 to 7, inclusive, agreed, to.
§ Clause 8 (Expenses of prisoners to be paid by county to which they belong).
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEcomplained that no satisfactory statement had been made by the Government with regard to this important measure, which related to the distribution of charges between local and Imperial taxation. The principle involved in the Bill was, whether prisoners who were removed to convict prisons should be supported by county or by Imperial rates. The alteration proposed would cause a great increase of taxation in the county of Mayo and other parts of Ireland. He would submit to Her Majesty's Government that the Bill ought to be deferred until the general question of the incidence of local taxation was settled.
§ Amendment moved, page 4, line 37, leave out from ("presentment") to end of clause inclusive, and insert ("funds to be provided by Parliament".)—(The Lord Oranmore and Browne.)
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEsaid, he was quite ready to admit that the redistribution of charges between local and Imperial funds deserved that careful consideration which it would doubtless receive before long. Nevertheless, he thought so large a question ought not to be raised in the discussion of a Bill like the present, which did little more than apply to Ireland the provisions of the English Prisons Act. He hoped the noble Lord would not persist in his opposition to the clause.
§ Amendment (by leave of the Committee) withdrawn.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Remaining clauses agreed to.
§ Bill reported, without Amendment; and to be read 3a on Thursday next.
§ House adjourned at half past Seven o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter before Five o'clock,