I move:
"That this assembly is of opinion that the tax of one hundred and fifty pounds to be paid by each Deputy in nomination for any constituency is an unfair and unnecessary tax, and should be abolished."
I hope the motion may be received in the spirit in which the last motion has been received. The charge of one hundred and fifty pounds has been a serious trouble in Ireland in connection with the elections. From a purely technical point of view and from a material point of view not only of the candidates but their constituents, in Ireland the grievance has been felt so acutely that it is only the fact that Westminster was looked upon as so remote a place to fight it, and that we were entirely dependent on our own resources, that prevented us, years ago, raising this question. In some constituencies a few men are able to produce the sum without inconvenience to themselves. The elections, after all, are not organised for the convenience of the wealthy, and all the poor are affected by the tax, and Labour must feel the stress very acutely. The injury to the public service is so serious—in limiting the range of choice—that I sincerely hope that this Dáil will take this matter up and, by a resolution of the House, declare that it recognises the seriousness of the matter, and that this impediment to the full exercise of the franchise—because that is what it comes to—will be swept away. I know that there are two difficulties in the way. One is legislative—that, I presume, can be got rid of. The other is financial, but I believe that the financial difficulty can be got rid of equally easily. The Dáil could express its opinion; and if there is a power behind the Dáil that can settle this question it would be hardly our business to dispute it in a matter of the kind which affects the liberty of the people. We are not only a democratic body but we are moving to be more democratic than the constitution has allowed us to be up to this. And if we pass this resolution it would be to the convenience of the people of Ireland, and the people outside Ireland, that the democratic feeling of the people of Ireland would be emancipated. This would enlarge the field of choice, and relieve Ireland of a burden which has been felt by individual candidates and also by the people who had to supply the money out of their own pockets.