On a point of personal explanation, during my absence from the House to-day the Lord Mayor of Cork, Deputy Sheehan, in connection with "The Emancipation of the Rural Labourers Bill" which I introduced to this House and which passed its First Reading yesterday, made the following statement:—
"Deputy Corry put down my name and I did not know about it."
He also stated that he never agreed that his name should be put to it. I deny that. I wish to state that Deputy Sheehan not alone seconded it but was more than anxious that he would, and said that if my Party would not allow me to do so, he would move the Bill. I cannot therefore understand this statement made by the Deputy.
The Bill was handed in to the Dáil on the 13th May and on the following day I called on the Deputy at his own business premises. I told him that the Bill had now gone in and that he was the seconder. He said: "Right, Martin, I am very thankful to you." The Bill has been from the 19th May last on the Order Paper in this House and at least on two or three occasions I wrote to the Deputy because of various hopes I had of introducing the Bill at an early date, telling him that the Bill would probably be introduced on the Wednesday following and to be in his place. I again left him a note in his business premises on Monday last telling him that I had now got a guarantee that the Bill would be introduced on Wednesday and asking him to be here in case it would require to be seconded. The Deputy was here when that Bill got its First Reading. The Deputy was in his place in this House, and he surely had an opportunity of saying anything he wished to say about it. Even after that I sent a note to the Deputy asking him now that the Bill was through: "Can we celebrate by backing your horse Immaterial tomorrow?” He replied, “No.” I suppose the horse was to be pulled, like the Deputy.
