Would I be in order in moving an amendment to add a new sub-section at the end of sub-section (2) at this stage?
LOCAL ELECTIONS (DISSOLVED AUTHORITIES) BILL, 1926—COMMITTEE STAGE.
The Seanad went into Committee.
Question: "That Section 1 stand part of the Bill," put and agreed to.
Question proposed—"That Section 2 stand part of the Bill."
CATHAOIRLEACH
That will depend upon the nature of the sub-section.
It will be within the memory of the Seanad that yesterday it was alleged that this Bill took away from the people of Dublin and Cork the right to vote, and my sub-section would read as follows:
"That the Minister cause to be inserted on the ballot paper for the election of representatives to act on the local authorities in the Schedule to this Bill an option to the voter to express his view as to his preference for administration by a Commissioner as against administration by elected local representative."
CATHAOIRLEACH
That amendment of yours is not in order for two reasons. This Bill is solely applicable to extending the time during which the Commissioners shall act instead of the local authorities named in the schedule to the Bill. You propose that when that time has expired, and when we revert to the system of election, that then the ballot paper is to be in a certain form. Well, sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. Your amendment is entirely outside the scope of the work of this Bill. This Bill, if it becomes law, will come to an end in 1929, and your amendment will only come into operation after the Act has expired.
I think, with all respect, the Bill would not be dead. It would be only in a state of suspended animation, at the option of the electors named in the areas in the Bill.
CATHAOIRLEACH
What Clause 2 proposes is, that these new elections are not to take place in the areas mentioned in the Schedule until 1929. Well, therefore, your amendment deals with the voting paper to be used when the new elections come to be held. Your voting paper would not come into existence until 1929. At that time the functions of this Bill would be gone. If you look at the title you will see that this is a Bill "to extend the period fixed by Section 72 of the Local Government Act 1925 for the holding of new elections of members of certain local authorities dissolved under Section 12 of the Local Government Act 1923." That is all it does.
Very well sir. I ask your permission to withdraw the amendment which you have not permitted me to insert. I think this will entail that for some areas we might be permitted to introduce a private Bill if the Government would adopt it.
CATHAOIRLEACH
This Bill is confined to three areas named in the Schedules. It will be quite open to you or to any other Deputy or Senator at the time this Bill is about to expire to bring in a short Bill to accomplish the object you have in view. At present your sub-section would be foreign to the subject matter of this Bill.
Question: "That Sections 2 and 3 and the title stand part of the Bill"— put and agreed to.
The Seanad went out of Committee.
Bill reported without amendment.