I ask leave to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend and extend the Land Purchase Acts in divers respects.
Committee on Finance. - Land Bill, 1936—First Stage.
In view of the forecasts which appeared of the nature of this legislation, we consider it our duty to oppose the introduction of this Bill. My experience of a great deal of the land legislation, for which the Minister for Defence made himself responsible in this House, has been that it seriously interferes with the fixity of tenure which the tenant farmers fought for, and secured, from another Government at another time. Owing to the exertion of Deputies in this House great abuses that were threatened under, I believe, the direct inspiration of the Minister himself, were averted.
The House will recollect that an attempt was made to evict a number of tenant farmers in the County Wexford under the powers conferred upon the Government by the 1923 Land Act. Owing to the exertions of the members of the Opposition the Minister for Agriculture, who had made himself responsible for this attempted evic tion, was brought down to his con stituency in sack-cloth and ashes, to apologise to his constituents and to assure them that he had learned his lesson, and would use his influence to persuade the Land Commission to stay their hand. And he used his influence to such good effect that these tenant purchasers, threatened with eviction were left in their holdings and then security of tenure vindicated. We objected that any provision should make it possible, for any Minister, to shake the fixity of tenure of any tenant, when the Bill was before the House. Such provisions were carried in spite of us by a cabal formed by the Fianna Fáil and Labour Parties. We are not in a position, at this juncture, to know the exact contents of the Bill which is now proposed to be introduced; but seeing that the kept Press of the Government has forecasted that the purpose the Minister for Defence has in mind is to extend his absolute jurisdiction to disturb tenant purchasers in this country, we find it necessary to oppose the introduction of the Bill with a view to eliciting from him now the general grounds upon which the Bill is drafted.
Deputy Dillon, of course, opposes the Bill before he knows what is in it.
On a point of order, the procedure in this House lays it down that the only method, and the only way, in which a Minister who asks leave to introduce a Bill can indicate what the contents of the Bill is if the Opposition oppose it. Then the Minister has an opportunity of explaining what is in the Bill. There is no other way, on such a stage, that the Minister's lips can be unsealed.
The fact that Deputy Dillon does not know what is in the Bill is not sufficient to keep him quiet in entering a protest against its introduction. I hope at a later stage, after the Bill is introduced, to be able to show the Deputy that what is in his mind is a figment of his imagination.
The imagination of the Irish Press.
The Bill is intended to amend and extend the Land Purchase Acts in divers ways. Briefly, the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that what was intended to be done under the 1933 Act will, in fact, be the law of the country. The principle of the 1933 Act was the subject of actions in the courts, and the effect of the courts' decision was to say that what the Government really intended to do under the 1933 Act was not, in fact, the law. This is an amending Bill. It consists largely of drafting amendments. There is nothing very new introduced by it into the Act of 1933.
I take it the only purpose of the Bill is to upset the decisions of the courts even under the 1933 Land Act.
The purpose of the Bill is not to upset decisions, it is to enforce the views of the people as represented here.
Then I oppose and challenge a division.
Question—"That leave be given to introduce the Bill"—put.
The House divided: Tá, 44; Níl, 23.
Tá
|
Aiken, Frank.Bartley, Gerald.Beegan, Patrick.Boland, Gerald.Brady, Brian.Briscoe, Robert.Concannon, Helena.Crowley, Timothy.Daly, Denis.Derrig, Thomas.Dowdall, Thomas P.Everett, James.Flynn, John.Flynn, Stephen.Fogarty, Andrew.Gibbons, Seán.Goulding, John.Hales, Thomas.Harris, Thomas.Hogan, Patrick (Clare).Jordan, Stephen.Keely, Séamus P. |
Kelly, James Patrick.Keyes, Michael.Killilea, Mark.McEllistrim, Thomas.MacEntee, Seán.Maguire, Conor Alexander.Moore, Séamus.Moylan, Seán.Murphy, Patrick Stephen.Murphy, Timothy Joseph.O Briain, Donnchadh.O Ceallaigh, Seán T.O'Grady, Seán.O'Reilly, Matthew.Rice, Edward.Ryan, James.Ryan, Robert.Sheridan, Michael.Smith, Patrick.Traynor, Oscar.Victory, James.Walsh, Richard. |
Níl
|
Alton, Ernest Henry.Beckett, James Walter.Bennett, George Cecil.Bourke, Séamus.Broderick, William Joseph.Burke, James Michael.Cosgrave, William T.Curran, Richard.Daly, Patrick.Dillon, James M.Dockrell, Henry Morgan.Doyle, Peadar S. |
Good, John.Keating, John.McMenamin, Daniel.Morrisroe, James.Morrissey, Daniel.Mulcahy, Richard.Nally, Martin.O'Donovan, Timothy Joseph.O'Leary, Daniel.Redmond, Bridget Mary.Wall, Nicholas. |
Tellers:—Tá: Deputies Smith and Beegan; Níl: Deputies Doyle and Bennett.
Question declared carried.
Leave granted to introduce the Bill.
Second Stage fixed for Wednesday, 15th July.