The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-09 00:00:00

UNFINISHED PUBLIC WORKS IN

IRELAND.

A deputation of Irish Members of Parliament had
an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer
on Tuesday, for the purpose of urging the propriety
of the Government making the necessary advances
to complete the unfinished presentments under the
Labour-rate Act.

The following gentlemen attended :—Mr. G. As
Hamilton, Mr. E. B. Roche, Mr. H. Grattan, Mr.
Herbert, Mr. Charles Clements, Sir R. Ferguson, Sir
b. O'Brien, Sir Percy Nugent, Mr. W. Fagan, Mr.
John O'Brien, the Honourable Mr. Caulfield, Mr.
O'Flaherty, Mr. St. George, Mr. Grace, and Mr.
Tennisson.

The deputation repeated the statements made by
them a few days since, when they were favoured
with an interview of the Irish Secretary, Sir William
Somerville. What they required was an advance of
money to complete the unfinished works which had
been presented for under the Labour-rate Act, not by
grant, but by loan, which the country was willing,
and would be ready to repay. In their present con-
dition those presentments were a waste of property,
perilous to life, and an utter forfeiture of past heavy
expenditure. It was estimated that an inconsiderable
sum, as compared with the outlay already made,
would complete them, and that it was false and mis-
calculating economy for the Government now to
withhold the necessary aid. The Bill contemplated
to be introduced by the Government for enabling the
counties of Ireland to present for their unfinished
roads would, in the present prostrate condition of the
country, be found unavailing, unless accompanied by
the necessary advances for their execution, which
shall be punctually repaid by yearly instalments, as
had been done in all former advances under the Board
of Works.

Mr. John O'Brien, Sir Lucius O'Brien, and other
members of the deputation, suggested that such a
course would be a prudent security for the repayment
to the Government of its past advances, which they
apprehended an insurpassable difficulty in collecting,
should the landed proprietors and rate-payers of the
country feel that they had derived no advantage from
the outlay, and that it had been expended in the
creation of public nurseries, for in no other light
could unfinished presented works be otherwise consi-
dered, and the destruction of the public thorough-
fares. They added that the question was one of
urgency, for the unfinished works were rapidly de-
teriorating, and it was no exaggeration to say that
each month's delay added 20,000/. or 30,0001. of
future additional outlay to the already over-burdened
resources of the country.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer entered fully
into the question submitted for his consideration ;
and while he regretted that, from the financial con-
dition of the country, it would be altogether imprac-
ticable to make additional advances of the public
money for completing unfinished public works in
Ireland, he promised to extend aid, on the security of
the county rates, towards the completion of a due
proportion of those works, according as the first ad-
vances were repaid.
The deputation said that of course those re-ad-
vances would be found serviceable to a certain extent,
but they urged on the Chancellor of the Exchequer
that he should, in addition, enable the counties of
Ireland to borrow, from private parties, on the secu-
rity of the county rates, funds sufficient to complete
the works still remaining unfinished.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that be bad
prepared a Bill, enabling grand juries to make pre-
sentments for the purpose, and he would be prepared
to submit its details for the consideration of the
House on an early day.
The deputation then retired.