Ireland, and the royal speech had intimated that the
subject would be brought forward during this session. Acting upon this
report and intimation, Mr. O'Loghlen, attorney-general for Ireland,
introduced a bill for the better regulation of Irish municipal
corporations. In doing so he entered into many details to show the
limited and exclusive nature of the corporations, and the abuses to
which this had led. He proposed to remedy the abuses which had crept
into the system, by a bill similar to those already adopted for England
and Scotland. In regard to the seven largest towns--Dublin, Cork,
Limerick, Kilkenny, Belfast, Galway, and Water-ford--it was proposed
that every inhabitant possessing the L10 franchise under the provisions
of the Irish reform act, should be entitled to vote in the election of
municipal offices. As regarded all boroughs containing a population
of less than 20,000 inhabitants, it was farther proposed that every
occupier of a L5 house should be entitled to vote in the election of
municipal officers. With regard to councillors, the qualification in the
seven large boroughs was to consist in having property worth L1000, and
in the other towns, property worth L5000. In the seven large boroughs,
and likewise in Londonderry, Sligo, Dungannon, and Drogheda, where
the population exceeded 15,000, there would be a division of wards.
Aldermen, likewise, were to be elected by the inhabitants, and were to
consist (C)f the councillors who had the greatest number of votes at the
election. One half of the councillors and aldermen were to retire every
three years; and in the seven large boroughs, the council was to
have the power of electing sheriffs, subject to the approval of the
lord-lieutenant. The bill further declared that a commission of the
peace might be granted in any large borough if the lord-lieutenant
thought fit, and in other towns the mayor for the time being would be
the magistrate of the borough. It was likewise intended to preserve to
the inhabitants of the Irish corporate towns the right of proceeding
summarily by petition in cases of misapplication of public funds,
instead of leaving them to the ordinary tedious process of the law,
and to retain the courts in the nature of courts of conscience, and the
right of their suitors to proceed by attachment. It was further proposed
that government should have the power of obliging the council, if either
or both the persons first chosen were not approved of