MOTION FOR A RETURN. (Hansard, 7 February 1884)

THE EARL OF LIMERICK,
in moving for a Return showing the population in each county, city, and borough in Ire- 166 land returning Members to Parliament; together with the acreage, the valuation of rateable property, the number of registered voters, the number of lands, tenements, or hereditaments, and the number of inhabited houses in each, at their different ratings, said, that a Return very like this was moved for in 1880. It only, however, referred to cities and boroughs, whilst the Return he now ventured to move for extended to counties. It was a matter of great interest to many Irishmen at the present time to know certain particulars about the population, valuation, and other details connected with the counties, cities, and boroughs of Ireland. The Return which he moved for had been drawn up in consultation with various Gentlemen, some of them belonging to the House of Commons, and they had expressed the opinion that it would be a most desirable Return for the Government to grant and for them to have. Their Lordships would see the object of it. They had been told that there was some chance, this year, of legislation dealing with the extension of the occupation franchise to Ireland, and it was well that they should know what class of persons would be enfranchised by any measure the Government might introduce, what was the nature of the inhabited houses in the various counties, cities, and boroughs in Ireland, and whether a large number of those houses were not occupied by persons very little above the pauper class. He could not think that the Return would take any very great time in preparing, and if the Government intended to introduce a Franchise Bill, the information was no doubt in their possession. They must, he thought, have considered the details which he asked for if they had come to the conclusion to bring in such a measure. He might mention that the previous Return, referring only to boroughs, was so easily obtained that although the Order of their Lordships' House was obtained on the 24th June, 1880, the Return was ordered to be printed on the 5th July, 1880, so that it practically took less than a fortnight to secure the Return.

§ LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL),
in reply, said, he was afraid there would be very great difficulty in preparing the Return. With respect to the first four heads of the Return, there would be, of course, no difficulty in obtaining the information which would come under them, which information would be easily accessible without preparing such a document. The difficulty lay in the heads 5, 6, and 7, which required an elaborate classification of all lands, tenements, and hereditaments throughout Ireland, and also of the inhabited houses in the cities and boroughs there. He had received a full statement from the Commissioner of Valuation in Dublin, in which that gentleman stated that it was absolutely out of his power at this time of the year to undertake that classification. The Commissioner stated that the whole of his staff were engaged upon the work of the annual revision of the valuation of Ireland, work which must be completed under Statute by a certain day, and that it would be absolutely impossible for him to withdraw them from that work. The Commissioner added that it would make such an important addition to his work, that it would take away the greater portion of his staff for two months from the revision of the valuation. Under those circumstances, he (Lord Carlingford) did not see how it would be possible for the Government to require the Commissioner of Valuation at the present time to perform the work of preparing the Return which the noble Earl desired to obtain.

THE EARL OF LIMERICK
said, the really valuable part of the information 168 would be under heads 5, 6, and 7. As to the details being elaborate, those of the Return of 1880 were as elaborate, and yet he would remind the noble Lord that no difficulty was experienced in supplying them in about 10 days. He thought that before any measure was proposed by the Government for extending the franchise in Ireland, they ought to know what class of persons would be introduced upon the registers. Unless his Motion were agreed to, he should divide the House upon it.

CONTENTS.
Northumberland, D.	Brabourne, L.
	Chelmsford, L.
Salisbury, M.	Clanwilliam, L. (E. Clanwilliam.)
Cadogan, E.	Clinton, L.
Doncaster, E. (D. Buccleuch and Queensberry.)	Colville of Culross, L.
	Douglas, L. (E. Home.)
	Egerton, L.
Feversham, E.	Ellenborough, L.
Fortescue, E.	Foxford, L. (E. Limerick.) [Teller.]
Hardwicke, E.
Jersey, E.	Gerard, L.
Leven and Melville, E.	Hay, L. (E. Kinnoul.)
Lucan, E.	Ker, L. (M. Lothian.)
Mount Edgcumbe, E.	Lamington, L.
Redesdale, E.	Penrhyn, L.
Romney, E.	Raglan, L.
Stanhope, E. [Teller.]	Shute, L. (V. Barrington.)
Stradbroke, E.
Wharncliffe, E.	Silchester, L. (E. Longford.)
Cranbrook, V.	Stratheden and Campbell, L.
Ashford, L. (V. Bury.)	Wemyss, L. (E. Wemyss.)
Bagot, L.

NOT-CONTENTS.
Selborne, E. (L. Chancellor.)	Carlingford, L.
	Carrington, L.
	Clifford of Chudleigh, L.
Bedford, D.
Grafton, D.	Dorchester, L.
	FitzGerald, L.
Camperdown, E.	Gwydir, L.
Derby, E.	Hothfield, L.
Granville, E.	Lyttelton, L.
Kimberley, E.	Ramsay, L. (E. Dalhousie,)
Morley, E. [Teller.]
Northbrook, E.	Romilly, L.
Sydney, E.	Sandhurst, L.
	Saye and Sele, L.
Sherbrooke, V.	Strafford, L. (V. Enfield.)
Exeter, L. Bp.	Sudeley, L.
Auckland, L.	Thurlow, L.
Belper, E.	Tweeddale, E. (M. Tweeddale.)
Blachford, L.
Boyle, L. (E. Cork and Orrery.) [Teller.]	Waveney, L.
	Wrottesley, L.