The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-13 00:00:00

LANCASHIRE.

In reply to Mr. FERRAND,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied
,hat there was every desire on the part of the Government

to proceed with the bill for providing loans in aid of public
works in Lancashire with all the despatch in their power.
LABO URERS' COTTAGES IN IRELAND.

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Sir H. BRUCE rose to move that the restrictions placed
by the Board of Works in Ireland and the Treasury on the
advances of money for the building of labourers' cottages
in Ireland were inexpedient and calculated to render the act
sanctioning the advances in a great degree inoperative. The
hon. baronet referred to some correspondence between the
Treasury and Sir Richard Griffith in support of his motion.

Mr. F. PEEL reminded the house that it was not with.

out considerable difficulty that the principle of the Land
Improvement Act was extended to building operations in
Ireland—in the first instance to farm buildings, and ulti-
mately in 1860 to the erection of labourers' cottages. When
Parliament authorised Government to make advances for
the purpose, it was necessary at the same time to lay down
conditions under which they should be made, and the hon.
baronet now asked whether the restrictions created were not
unnecessary. He believed they were quite defensible, not
merely as protecting the Government, but likewise as pro-
tecting the owners of property, and especially those who
had eventual interests in land.

Sir F. HEYGATE called attention to the extraordinary
character of the specifications required by the Treasury.
Why, for example, should the best description of slates be
required for labourers' cottages, and why should none but
the best foreign timber be used?
Mr. POLLARD URQUHART hoped the Government
Would do nothing to induce Sir R. Griffith to relax the very
salutary regulations laid down by him. If the working of the
act were not so guarded it would lead to the greatest abuses.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE asked the hon. baronet to re-
member that such legislation was entirely exceptional, and
that it was with great difficulty the bill was passed by the
House of Lords. In the interest of the remainder man espe-
cially, it was necessary to fence the act with conditions, and
under those circumstances he asked the hon. baronet not to
press his amendment.
Sir H. BRUCE withdrew the amendment.
THE STATE OF IRELAND.

Col. DUNNE rose to bring before the house the presem
depressed condition of Ireland, together with the amount
of taxation imposed upon that country, and to move for a
select committee to inquire into the caus3 of such depres-
sion, and the affects of the taxation she now bore. The hon.
member regretted his inability to bring forward the motion
ato an earlier period of the session. Comparing the returns
f 1841 with the returns of 1861, he found that the popula-
tion of Ireland had decreasedh within 20 years to the number
of 2,000
,000 and more.ati
T
larger on, as Ireland was
st
ccoapulabdlenootfbseuappmoarttintergfaormeouenh-
Malation thawshe
f possessed in 1841. Again, since
1847, which was the first year after the potato famine, her
agricultural produce of r
all
sortsh had diminished enormously ;
her cereal crops were less, green crops were less, and
the quantity of stock in the
exporter
graiogrtoail but of late years she
country was less. Heretofore
Z 4,000,000
Ireland had been an ex
had been obliged to import
judged by
or £5,000,000. Then the value of railwayeinteut of
depreciated, and there was a falling offinVertY had been
every species of Irish manufacture. So
that,e production of
every possible test, there could not be any doubt
depressed condition of Ireland. It might have benaennt° the
sary to have detained the house at great "'s-
ngth
in developing his contention, but that had been
rendered unnecessary by the frank admissions of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer in his budget speech. The
hon, and gallant member then proceeded to take a general
review of the taxation of Ireland from the Union to the
present time, comparing the public debts of the two coun-