The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-01 00:00:00

TNE\irSl7lq, I.OI.VDON, 9

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT, - sionerie with reference co the inquiry into the Andover
HOUSE OF LORDS, Apr4l3o. f Union, those proceedings appear to have been irregular
The LORD CetestecnnLon took his seat on the Wool- aid arbitrary, especially in respect to the dismissal of'
sack at Five o'clock. Mr. Day and Mr. Parker. It was now eight months
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. since that report was laid upon the table of the House,
Messengers from the Commons brought up several and still the same Poor-law Commissioners remained in
Bills. full power, inflicting the same cruelties on the poor of
POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL. the country generally as those they inflicted upon the
Lord STANLEY hoped the Government would give i poor in the Andover Union. Her Majesty's Government
their attention to the system of rating under this Bill, had screened these Commissioners eight mouths, and
for he feared that the effect, of the present clause would they were now attempting .to screen them still farther.
be to give the power tote's> tenant, when rated on a The notice had been a long time on the paper of the
merely net sum, of charging half poundage on the gross House, and yet the Government had not introduced the
B
amount. These difficulties arose from their interfering Bill. It had been put on the list last night, when the
o
between the landlord and tenant to establish separate Right Honourable Baronet knew that it could n t
Interests, which he thought ought to be left alone. be discussed It had also been postponed; till next
The Marquis of WESTMEATH said it was his in- Monday, when there were four or five other mo-
tentiou to move an amendment on this Bill. The object tions which had precedence. If the Government
of it was to facilitate proceedings in the master's office. desired the Bill to go forward, why not have
He had thrown out a proposal for the consideration of fixed it for Friday night, when there were no other
the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, that he motions on the paper? He wanted a pledge from the
should prepare a clause to allow of viva voce evidence Government that they would fix a night of theirs for
instead of by affidavit. the discussion of the question, giving fair notice to the
ed. opponents of the New Poor-law to be present. Unless
After a desultory conversation the subject dropp
GOVERNMENT PLAN OF EDUCATION. they did so, he weuld himself bring the conduct of the
The Bishop of OXFORD presented a petition from Poor-law Commissioners under the consideration of the
Banbury, in Oxfordshire, in favour of the Government H
plan of education, Sir G. GREY said, that when he gave notice of his
POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL. intention of introducing the Bill ho had no ilium-
that in Committee on tion of taking the discussion on it then, but to
Lord DESART gave notice,
this Bill, it was his intention to move some amendments make a statement of its provisions, and fix a
on the second clause, relating to the power given to the night when the whole discussion could be taken.
poor-law guardians to hire or to build houses for the re- He had fully expected that time would have been allowed
eeptiors of the able-bodied poor; and also regulating the for the statement last night, but the lateness of the dis-
relief to be afforded to such persons. elusion which had arisen prevented him doing so. He
REPRESENTATIVE PEERS OF SCOTLAND. had postponed the Bill, therefore, till Monday next, the
The Earl of EGLINTON rose to move that a earliest Government day, in the hope that after the
Select Committee be appointed to take into considers. I Factory Bill was disposed of there would be time
tion the existing laws and regulations which relate to enough for the statement which he had to make.
the elections of the representative Peers of Scotland, to After he had made his statement, and the Bill was in-
consider what steps should be taken to prevent persons troduced, he would name day for the second reading,
from voting at such elections who are not entitled to do when the discussion would be taken.
so, and to report upon the proceedings which took place RAILWAYS, PIERS, AND HARBOURS (IRE-
at the election of Lord Gray, on the 17th of March last. LAND) BILL.
He said he regretted that the duty had devolved Oa the motion that the order of the day for the House
upon him to bring this important subject before their going into Committee on the Railways, Harbours, Piers,
Lordships ; and that it had not fallen into other &c. (Ireland) Bill being read,
hands. It might not be necessary to remind their Mr. ROEBUCK rose reluctantly to call the attention
Lordships that by the terms of the Act of of the House while he stated the reasons why he was
Union sixteen was the number of representative about to propose an amendment to the proposition of the
Peers to be seat to the House of Lords, and to be Government. The subject was now fairly before them,
elected out of the whole number of Scotch Peers. In and he would state the grounds why he objected.
1703 certain proceedings took place, upon which What was it the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Ex-
were founded the following forms at any election chequer proposed to them to do ? He asked them to go
of a representative Peer. The Peers of Scotland into Committee of Supply, for the purpose of doing
were assembled by proclamation. After the commission that, which in the early part .•f the session, he and those
had been read by the Lord Clerk Registrar, the names who voted with him told
the House, in the strongest
Hedegree
on the union roll were called over, and all who answered
manner, was in the highest
interests of the country. would feel inimical to the
voted and gave in their proxies. But it must be evident it necessary to
to the House some of the words of the Right
that the clerk had no means of testing claims, and
rilelndeurable Baronet, although it was not his
therefore any vote tendered under a title on the union-
d Kith
henttihoins
habit to have recourse to this mode. argu-
medstantnoes roll by a person, though he may have no right to du so,
call
lnecthtee
must be recorded. A resolution was passed, restrict- went. Now
hco
ircumstances the
House the •
d grandsons Now to
ing the power to use proxies to the sons an .
In question of railways in Ireland. It '
of Peers. but that was not sufficiently stringent. might be in the
recollectionof
1032 a Committee was appointed on the subject, and re-that House, that in the corn-
- Iby it which were referred to a Commit- mencement of the session the Noble Lord opposite
solutions passe, (Lord G. Bentin 'lt •
tee of Privileges, but the subject dropped out of memory. ) introduced into the House a measure
r
He would not cite any instances 01 this abuse, lam. go :2 the purpose of establishing railways in Ireland.
into the subject at any length, but would conclude by Now, at that time the situation of the country was
moving that a Select Committee be appointed to in- different to what it was at the present time.
quire into the laws and regulations relating to the elec- Than there was no great pressure in the
tion of Scottish Peers for the House of Lords, and into money market; the commerce of the country was in as
the proceeding that took place on the election of Lord flourishing a state as it was usually in at that period of
Grey on the 17th of March last. the year. The Noble Lord's Bill, after embracing a
Lord BROUGHAM said that the gentleman to general view of the state of the country. proposed to ask
whose vote objection was taken had no means to eats- from this country a loan of 16,000,0001. ; but he pro-
blish his title unless it was called in question. He had posed to ask this at different times, and the sum—if he
no objection however, to the appointment cf the Coal- recollected rightly—which was proposed to be raised
mittee. in the first year was 4,000,000/. Now at
Lord CAMPBELL would take leave to add a single that time the description which he (Mr. Roe-
word to what had been already said on this subject. A buck) had given of the state of the country was
case had come to his knowledge to prove the de- correct. There might be no great prosperity, but there
fective state of the law which proved his position. was no alarm, and there would have been no difficulty in
An individual was told that he was entitled-to a peearge raising the sum required by the Noble Lord. Now, at
and he immediately abandoned his habits of industry, that time what was the language used by the Right
and his family were brought to utter ruin. Another Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer? After the
case had also come under his observation. enormous sums of money which had been lately granted
The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the motion, to Ireland, the Right Hon. Gentleman carne down and
which was agreed to ; and the Peers to comprise the asked the House to grant a sum of 620,000/. for the
Committee were nominated, and next Monday, at two purpose of assisting railways in Ireland. But let them
o'clock, fixed for the meeting of the Committee. look at the language of the Right lion. Gentleman! Mr.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid upon the table Roebuck had opened the book, when he was inter•
of the House various returns, by order of her Majesty. rupted
by
Several Bills were then forwarded a stage, and the The SPEAKER, who intimated that the lion.
House adjourned at twenty minutes past six o'clock. Member could not quote from a speech made on the
debate on the present measure.
Mr. ROEBUCK did not wish to quote anything that
was not pertinent to the present question, and it he was
desirous of giving the words, it was only from the fear
that his memory might not serve to give the precise mean-
ing of the Right Hon. Gentleman, whose opinions he was
desirous of giving to the House, for to misrepresent him
no part of his intention. Now, he thought that
an argument might be used of this nature, and one which
was particularly applicable to the present question—
(Such was the import of the Right Hon. Gentleman's
expressions)—that, although the sum of four millions
only was demanded at present, yet eventually the sum of
16,000,0001. would be required, and that the plan would
impose upon the Government a task which he, in his
character of Chancellor of the Exchequer, could not
undertake. The expressions of the Noble Lord at the
ad of the Treasury were precisely to the same effect.
He said, further, that if the railroads were in such a
state of prosperity as the Noble Lord had asserted them
to be in that country—and he instanced the Great
Western Railway of Ireland—they did not need that as-
sistance for which he sought, and they should not
give the money. Both the Right Hon. Gentleman and
the Noble Lord went further than this, for they said
that if they went into the market to borrow the money,
they would go unfairly armed, and affirmed that even
it the plan was to be adopted it would nut give that
amount of employment which the Noble Lord the Mem-
ber for Lynn affirmed that it would give. For this they-
cited the words of the Right Hon. Baronet the Member
for Tamworth, and, if he recollected right, the Right
Hon. Baronet the late Secretary for the Home Depart-
ment had also stated that such would be the case. They
greunded their objection chiefly on the extent of the
measure which the Noble Lord had brought forward,
but for his part, in his opinion, that was the best recom-
mendation of the plan. He did not say that it was a
wise plan ; but it was at least a bold and a comprehen-
sive plan—one calculated to give extensive employ-
ment to the poor population of Ireland. Since
the Noble Lord's proposal was before the Houas,
change in a most important and vital particular was pro-
duced—some people contended—by the Government
themselves. At the time the Noble Lord made
his proposal there was no alarm in the money
market. It was only apprehended. But what
was the situation of the commercial interest
at the time this measure is brought forward? Was it not
notorious that the Noble Lord at the head of the Go•
verument was daily in communication with the great
commercial interests of Liverpool, Glasgow, and Lon-
don ? Had not every means been taken to restore con
tidence, but without success ? Were net the best possible
bills the mercantile world could produce of no avail
on account of enormous discounts charged for
cash And yet, in this deplorable state of
things the Right lion. Gentleman the Chancellor of
the Exchequer was about to throw another anditional
burden upon the Bank, and by what arguments was
this proposal supported? Why, by precisely the same
as those by which the Noble Lord had successfully
resisted a similar proposal a few weeks ago.
There was nothing in this measure to distinguish it from
the one introduced by the Noble Lord a short time ago,
except the greeter danger which they would now incur
in carrying out its principles ; and then, again, these
companies would be unable to borrow money at a rate
of interest which they would be able to pay. The
Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer
opposed the measure of the N. ble Lord, on the ground
that the Government should net become money-lenders.
But were not the circumstances now the same as they'
were at the time that measure was introduced ? And
what a flaming sword was wielded against it by the
Hon. Gentleman, who said that it would not employ the
weak and disabled but the able-bodied. Ho- said, "We
want relief for the poor and the aged, for women and
children, as well as for the able-bodied." Those were
the parties, he said, whom they could not benefit by
such means as those which the Noble Lord sought. It
was also urged by everybody who spoke on the same side
as he (fir. Roebuck) did, that the state of the country
at the time could not have been assisted by such a pro-
position. The Government said they had left nothing
undone to provide employment for the indigent poor ;
bet, entertaining that argument, how could tbf y
now come forward with this extraordinary
measure ? Was there ever so pitiful an attempt ?
He could not call it an endeavour, for no phrase in the
English language could supply him with a word which
coul I express hie feelings, without trespassing on the
courtesies of the House, ant which would adequately
enable him to describe the plan of the Right
Honourable Gentleman The Government proposed
to lend 620,000/. to Ireland, after they had ex-
pended something like 10,000,0001, and when they
had already deranged, not only the social condition of
Ireland, but the social andmonetary system of England,
by their unwise proceedings. But be assured the people
would not any longer suffer such proceedings. When they
saw hundreds of persons swept away, families destoyed,
situations well and honeurablyfilled up annihilated, and the
whole mercantile world in a commotion, and, in the
words of a French orator, with " hideous bankruptcy
knocking at their doors," were they to see the Chancellor
of the Exchequer come to the House with a smiling face
again to demand money—money ?—(Hear.), It might be
a pitiful sum compared with their previous lavish expen-
diture, but the people would not bear it. He appealed to
every gentleman in the Muse —if they wished
to consult consistency, which was not a matter of much '
ismuppoorrtatnche., it would seem, at the present period—to
in his present amendment. He would
ask the eo m b
I ast the Bill eiro ers who voted in the majority
Carrg a r of the Noble Lord opposite to join him
day be theheadol.ution—that the other orders of the
majority,
of this thought
6eitem they wou°d hear no more
cellor would get—(alielr, hear.) The Chan-
to proceed further with it'"Y significant hint not
the people of England ~,,,oultlear• hear) Ile felt that
d jesty's Ministers ; they woulrdetliod a lesson to her Ma-
schemes like these were day after day
rather angry, that
founded on no principle, and with oanYt brought corn,
to the country, placed upon the table eevfen
han appeal
rather to occupy their time than anything tele& House,
would move that the other orders of the day be He
now
read.—(Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that he would not dispute the abstract right of the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman to take the course which he
had thought proper to take upon the present
occasion, but he believed it to be an irregular
one, and one which would in future set a bad

HOUSE OF COMMONS. April 30.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
LORD'' ANIENDNIENTS.
The Lords' amendments to the Cheltenham Water-
works Bill were agreed to.
REPORTS.
The reports on the following Bills were brought up
and agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be engrossed:—
Caledonian Railway (Blanches from the Clydesdale
Junction Hallway to the Douglas and Lesmahagow,
Mineral Fields and to Strathaven).
Caledonian Railway (Branches to Wilsontown, to Fauld-
house, and to Biggar and Broughton).
Caledonian Railway (Extension of Motherwell Branch
of Clydesdale Junction Railway, to Auchinheath
Mineral Field, with Branches to the Wishaw, and
Coltness Railway, Canderside and Hamilton).
Herne Bay and Canterbury Junction Railway.
South-Eastern Railway (Croydo•• and Bromley Branches).
South-Eastern Railway (Maid.tone to Chart).
South-Eastern Railway (Mid-Kent and Direct Tun-
bridge).
South-Eastern Railway (North Kent Line).
South-Eastern Railway (Strood to Maidstone).
Mr. R. lIODGSON, on the bringing up the reports
from the Committee on group No. 1, as to the South-
Eastern Ralway Bills, moved that the minutes of the
Committee be printed with the reports.—Agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. GREEN E, it was ordered that
the Leeds Waterworks (No. 2) Bill be referred to the
Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, who shall report,
whether any other s anding orders apply to this Bill
than those which were proved to have been complied with
before the Examiner upon the petition for leave to bring
in the Leeds ,Vaterworks Bill ; and that the Examiner
have leave to sit and p,oceed neon Tuesday next.
THIRD READINGS.

The following Bills were read a third time and passed :
London and South-Western Railway (Widening, &c.)

Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway.
IRISH DISTRESS.

Mr. HAMlLT6i4presfnted a petition from Dublin,
signed by 4,976 persons a;ainst the measure adopted
by the Government for supplying food to the distressed

LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
M. T. DITNCOMBE presented a petition from the
Society for the Protection of Lunatics, praying for an
alteration in the law relating to lunatic asylums.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from a kirk session
in Scotland, against clauses in the Marriages Registra-
tion (Scotland) Bill.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS BILL.
_

Sir I). LE MARCH NT presented a petition from
Woreeeter in favour of the Juvenile Offenders Bill.
VESSELS OF WAR.
Sir C. NAPIER gave notice that, on Monday next, he
4e0u!.3 move for copies of the log-books of the Powerful,
nedney, Revenge, Cambridge, Vanguard, and GangeA,
from the Ist to the 7th December, 1840.
Mr. HU ME gave notice that, on Monday, he would
move for e-opies of reports of master-shipwrights on cer-
tain vessels.
ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC JUSTICE.
Mr. B. ESCOTT said that he would wish to ask a
question of the Right Honourable Gentleman the Secre-
tary for the Home Department ; it reated to a para.
graph which appeared in the Times newspaper, copied
from the Hampshire independent. It was stated that the
late Recorder for Winchester had resivied previous to
the Easter session, and that no recorder was appointed in
his stead, in consequence of which the trials of the pri-
soners were postponed indefinitely. lie had no know-
ledge of the subject but that which he had gathered from
the Times, and he was anxious to know whether a recorder
had been appointed, and if not whether he had any
means to remedy the injustice which must accrue by such
delay?
Sir GEORGE GREY said that he also had seen the
paragraph alluded to in the daily papers. The sessions
commenced on Easter Miaulay, and the resignation was
received at a late hour on the 31st of March; su that there
was no time to appoint a successor. He had not been
ia.rmed that any inconvenience had taken place; but he
would make inquiry respecting the matter.
FACTORY BILL. _ _

An HoN. ME:4IIIEa said he would wish to ask the
Secretary fir the Home Department whether it was hi:,
intention to introduce any amendments on the Factory
Bill, as had been suggested by the factory inspectors.
The first of those suggestions was with reference to
the education of children and the granting of certificates;
the second was with reference to the silk-mills, and the
third was the necessity of guarding the machinery in mills.
The Hon. Gentleman had said nothing respecting the
Acte!' relating to the silk mills ; and with regard to the
two
brin points he said that it was his intention to
g forward some Bill in the course of the present
session. He
thought it extremely important that all
three points should
parties seemed to be be settled together ; and as all
the question should haeg reed that a private settlement of
come to, he was desirous that the
Right Hon. Gentleman should state what course he in-
tended to pursue.
Sir G.
GREY
said that with regard to the two points
of which the Hon. Member hadethmade mention, he had
parties who were
had some communication with
to the education of
principally interested. With regard
of effecting
.the law.
the children in print works, there w
all that was desired without any alteration of
With regard to the casing of machinery in of
culties had arisen with regard to it, and hendTVis' ditri-
that it was advisable or necessary that the lan,:t'h"v
be altered in that respect. There were large powers
vested in the inspectors, and before. any steps were taken
s
it would be advisable that their report should be re-

eeived.
TILE POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS.
On the motion that the order of the day fur the House
going into Committee on the Railways, Piers, and Har-
bours (Ireland) Bill, be read,
Mr. FERRAND said that he was anxious to trespass
on the attention of the House for a very few moments,
in order to make one or two remarks upon the extraor-
dinary conduct of her Majesty's Government with
regard to the new Poor-law Commissioners. It was
now nosey four months since the c3mmencement of the
present session, and her Majesty's Government had not
Introduced into that House the new Poor-law which
they informed the House they would in this session
bring under its notice. On the 20th of August
1846, a Committee of that House reported, in the fol-
lowing language, their opinion as to the conduct of the
Poor-law Commissioners :—They stated that, upon a
tosview of the proceedings of the Poor-law Commis-

precedent for others to follow. He believed that the
more correct course would have been to go into Com •
mittee, when it would have been his duty to make a
statement as soon as the Speaker left the chair with re-
ference to this grant. He hoped that the
House would agree to go at once into Com-
mittee--(Hear, hear)—and then, in accordance with
the forms which had been established in that House,
he shoq.ld•ttiail himself of that opportunity of making
such a Statement as the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
would be well abie to answer. At present he declined
saying anything further until the House had resolved
itself into Committee.
The gallery was then cleared for a division, when the.
House divided, and there appeared—
For the amendment l4
Against it
Majority —lB9
The amendment was consequently negatived.
On our re-admission to the gallery, we found
Mr. HUME speaking, who said that the Hon. Gen-
tleman had stated that, in his opinion, it was wise to
make this grant; in his (Mr. Hume's) opinion, it was
not; but the proper time to make this amendment would
have been when the motion was put from the Chair for
going into Committee. But it should be recollected,
that those who voted for going into Committee voted for
giving money for making reilroads.—(Cries of " No,
no.") Yes, but he asserted that it was, for the House
had decided upon going into Committee, and that Com-
mittee was for the purpose of giving money to rail.
roads—(Repeated cries ut " No, no")—and those who
voted for going into Committee who did not vote for
giving money to railroads, would have placed them-
selves in a state of stultification.—(llerisive cheers.)
The House then went into Committee.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said

that in bringing this matter before the House before
they went further in the debate, he thought it would be
necessary to make a statement of what the case actually
was. It was true that he had made that statement the
other night, but it was at so late an hour that it might
not possibly have been quite understood. There were
two distinct subjects on this question, yet though dis-
tinct of such a nature as to be connected with each
other. The real question before the Committee was, as
to whether the House should grant specified sums to the
Commissioners of Public Works to be expended in the
formation of railroads in Ireland. At an early hour the
other morning he had an opportunity of making a state-
ment on this subject, not at any great length it was
true, but sufficient to remove the apprehensions under
which several Hon. Gentlemen laboured, with respect to
the conduct and proceedings of Government. He be-
lieved the statement he ma :e was correct, as far as it
related to the currency. He stated then, and he must
state now, that the present depression was in no degree
owing to the operation of the Banking Act; but it arose
from other causes. Hon. Gentlemen must have observed
from the public papers, that the state of the Bank had
improved during the last week. On the 24th of April,
the balance sheet of the Bank presented a considerable
improvement over that of the 17th. It showed that the
liabilities were diminished, while the means of meeting
the liabilities had increased. They had, therefore, reason
to be more satisfied of the groundlessness of the fears to
which he had alluded there three days ago. He had
been in communication with the Governor of the Bank
of England that morning, and was happy to say that
its condaion was very much improved—(Hear)—and
from a feeling of this improvement the Bank of Eng-
land has been enabled within the last, week, on two se-
parate days, to give increased facilities to the money
market—(Hear, hear)—and he was happy also to be
nabled to say, with respect to the statement made a
row days ago, to the effect that the condition of the money
market caused great distress in the north of England,
that the condition of those portions of the north had
been improved in consequence of those increased
facilities.—(Hear, hear.) It appeared from the state-
ments which he had heard that more bank notes were
circulated, and more bills discounted, than those
imagined who entertained the misapprehension which
he had contradicted ; and it appeared that even if the
pressure had been greater than it was, it could have
safely been borne.—(Cheers.) He would not allude
to the increased price of stocks, as this might have been
caused by circumstances, which could not have been
foreseen—that was a circumstance on which no one could
have calculated, and, therefore, he did not take it into ac-
count. Exchanges were improving, and the last news from
America was of an important character. He thought it
right to say thus much, in order that the apprehension
that had been created might be removed.—(hear.) He
would now turn to the plan of the Government, and at
the outset he wished to correct a statement which had
gone abroad, that the Government intended to raise an
additional loan, for the purpose of making the advances
they proposed. In reply to the Bill of the Noble Lord,
he stated that the Government were about to take mea-
sures to relieve the distr. s= in Ireland, by providing em-
ployment for the peel le, by employing them upon the
relief works. He stated when he proposed these mea-
sures, that it was the desire of the Government to foster
private enterprise in the employment of the people, and
he stated that for this purpose two Bills would he intro-
duced, one of which had since received the sanction of the
House ; it was called the Improvement of Landed Pro-
perty Bill, fur the purposes of which 1,060,000/. was
proposed to be advanced by the Government.
For the other Bill, the reclamation of waste
lands, they proposed to vote another 1,000,0001..
Now he stated further, when he proposed to take this
loan of 5i,000,000/., that a portion of that sum was to be
applied for the advancement of these Bills, which would
la, afterwards repaid, at d, therefore, that so much of the
sum should be subtracted from the whole amount. Hav-
ing stated so much he was at a loss to undersrand upon
what foundations it was urged that additional Exchequer
Bills were about to be issued by him. In the course of
discussion which had taken place on these two measures
it was generally agreed that by far the most important
of them, was that fur the . improvement of landed
property in Ireland. So the sum increased from
1,000.0001. to 1,151,0001. But in the course of
this discussion it was found that a very great
difference of opinion existed respecting the
advantages to be derived from the Waste Lands Bill, as
it was originally proposed to bs a compulsory mea-
sure. After considerable deliberation, it was determined
to abandon the compulsory nature of the Bill, although,
when they did so, they were aware that they were
abandoning a great portion of the Bill. The measure
for the reclamation of waste lands had been found ex-
tremely difficult, and therefore the Government had
thought it the best course to abandon the measure, as far
as the present session was concerned. With regarl to
the relief works, he was happy to state that a great re-
duction had recently taken place in the expenditure, and
the number of parties employed. In March lass, there
were 734,000 persons employed. Before the end of
March they had been reduced 20 percent. This left the
number 579,000. A further reduction had since taken
place, at el by the Ist of May he expected that the num-
ber would be reduced to 280,000. Thus, while on the
beginning of March the number was 734,000, there
would be on the 3,1 of May 280,000. Arid while this
great re du tion had taken place, he was happy to say
that very little had been advanced to assist in the pay-
ment of wages in other respects than on these works.
The accounts which had been just received from Ireland,
showed that a much larger amount of land was sown
than before ; and wheat, both spring as well
green crop. And at the same time, in a great part of
the south and the southwest of Ireland, the ordinary
quantity of potatoes had already been planted.—(Hear,
phfwoleeeoarndret..y ) Nay, not only was it found that there were
would
actually
in orrf p
haefrstharoet
appearingoriietestf
time
eor rbktesh,rei purposesne(wimuictahendy
places of saese d, butan article they
oyf
somebut few x
the peopleec exceptions,
pwt iooun
ld
still be engaged on unfinished works or on important
public works that would yet be found necessary to be
constructed. With respect to that part of the country
which had been under the operation of the public works,
he had to inform the House that many of the roads
made, especially in the wilder parts of the country, were
in the highest degree beneficial. That benefit also would
be telt in a higher degree in the time coming, and the
great line of railway to which they resolved to advance
the larger portion of the loan was, as the House knew,
the great trunk which united the west and south of
Ireland, and Dublin with Limerick and Cork. During
the last year this company had applied to the Treasury
I.)r the loan of 500,000/. to complete their line, but the
Treasury, in the then circumstances of the country,
and at the rate of interest which was charged, did
not feel itself justified in granting this application ;
but convinced of the great importance of the
line, they recommended that the Loan Commis-
sioners should advance 250,000/. The Great
Southern and Western Company had not seen
fit to accept that sum, and for that year,
therefore, the matter was abandoned. On application
being made to the Treasury, the Government desired
the public works Loan Commissioners to decide upon
the application, and they reported favourably of the
securities offered by the company, anti stated that if they
had the funds at their own disposal they would not have
the slightest objection to advance the money themselves.
The Right Him. Baronet then proceeded to read the re-
port of the Public Works Loan Commissioners upon
theth
e
subject. The whole line is to be 200 miles in length, and
of these 200 miles there are already 5
traffic upon the 56 m'les being so great as to allow the
ordinary per centage for the workiug of the line, and to
pay a sufficient rate of inheres! in addition to affird an
ample security for the whole advance.—(Hear,
hear). The reason why the company made the first
application Ives because the rate of interest in the
money market was at the present so high. They had
called up every call they were empowered to make by
Act of Parliament, and some of the calls had even been
paid in anticipation. They hoped by the assistance
of the Government to be enabled to open the line
to Limerick, to Melton, and to Cork, within two years,
being a distance of about 115 miles. The whole sum to
be advanced by the Government, and the calls to be paid
up, would be expended in the earthworks of the line,
and in the employment of labour by this mean-, or equal
to double the amount advanced by the Government,
would thus be expeniled in labour in Ireland, it being
expressly stipulated that for every 100,0001. advanced by
the Government, 100,000/. would be raised by the
company itself. The sum of 83.000 L ss as also proposed
for the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway, and the sum
of 36,000/. for the Dublin and Drogheda Railway. In
the last session of Parliament a sum of 50,000/. was
voted for the purpose of promoting useful works in Ire-
land, on condition that those in Ireland who applied for
an advance under the Bill would advance one-half--that
is to say, a sum equal in amount to the sum which they
required. At that time there were not any applications
, would
go further mrieaddeounut
bteer(mss:3;c:f the Bill, but about three weeks
:(4)o,oa.net.ipplieation was made for an advance from the sum
t for the purpose a improving; upper part of the Shan
part of Roscommr,ri
10,0001., out Cif a 11, an improvementhenavwi ghai tei.ho,n
iof the
de greatest advientage to the upper
large size r-n
balance
a 1. uaSt
ioh
egt
eel ni
ae'
or brSf yyh ap4oneounr:tooni
ihtt
.ih,anatgrinosoatbttej
epronrtfeesres not The sum applied
was