The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-05 00:00:00

mission. In introducing this measure to the House, it
was not his wish to bring it forward with any hostile
viewthat tthoewarisTdsobtlehe
LGorodverannmdentth,
eand Govhere had
nine nt
uh,o pad
take consideration of it in the same spirit as if they
were a great re-elected Committee appointed to consider
and decide upon the question. The idea of the Bill ori-
ginated as far back as September last, at the house, of
his Hon. Friend Sir John Tyrrell, and the Bill itself
owt
hrsatsth del ri
Billat,uwn e
,uwepxn
sea
es
gpflavrtehbnea cti
ikn
oatnsh.
eN protectivem
Member November
nflnao
irsstt,Hblauirtewinni oebhen.roswt i
hcoeof
was in all their confidences.—(Laughter.) They
did not consult any Irish Member, or any
gentleman connected with the Irish, companies,
because they thought, as it was a question of
calling upon England to grant a large sum of money, it
would be unbecoming to submit it to any jury except
that House. He trusted, however, that Irish Members
would not think that he had exercised any slighting dis-
cretion when he forbore to consult with them before
in troducing this measure to the House. He felt, amongst
other matters, that it was likely there would be a gene-
ral clamour against any proposition that would come
forward about Ireland ; and, besides, he
thought it was much more consistent for the
Irish gentlemen to act as they had done.
He thought this was more favourable for Irish
gentlemen and prop) jet°, s than that which they proposed
themselves. He (Lord G. Bentinek) and his friends
had arrived at this conclusion after having given the
subject their best consideration. The present measure
would have, in his (Lord G. Bentinek's) opinion, the
effect of stimulating the employment of the people in
Ireland. This was the object proposed by the Irish
gentlemen themselves; but they should recollect that
the best line would not have the effect _they (Lord G.
Bentinck and his party) desired. His Right Hon. Friend
bad never engaged in any enterprise that he had not
been crowned with success, and who may consequently,
perhaps, be the best judge of these matters, he was
of opinion that no such encouragement as the Irish
could give would effect the objects here proposed. It
_might do so slowla, but immediately it would not have
the effect of stimulating labour. They could form some
idea of the number of labourers employed by railways.
The London and Birmingham line employed one hun-
dred men a mile for four consecutive years. Taking one
line of those proposed in Ireland, Mr. Stephenson had
stated that to execute the whole it would require the ser-
vices of sixty men a mile fur four consecutive years, and
for 150 miless-90,000. But artificers, and many others not
exactly engaged on the hue of railway would be also
employed to the extent of over 9,000, besides those who
would be employed in different ways to the extent of
180,000. But there were other miscellaneous employ-
ments, which, it could not be denied, by the expenditure
wisely, of a large sum of money, would give employ-
ment-to 110,000. But the whole number who would be
thus employed, would amount to 550,000 for four con-
secutive years. Now, if a measure which he was prepared
to, show, would cost this country nothing—(Hear)—
and which would not only cost it nothing, but add to its
wealth—if by a measure such as this, employment
would be given for four consecutive years to 550,000 of
the industrious population of Ireland, who would receive
good wages during that time, it must be admitted that
he went a long way to assist his Noble Friend (Lord J.
Russell) in carrying out his New Poor-law Amendment
Act.--(Cheers.) But he not only expected by this
proposition to give employment to this large number,
and consequently subsistence at least during the four
years, but they had not forgotten the comforts and
interests of the labourers, in following out the
recommendations of the Committee to which he had
referred, they had inserted clauses in the Bill, obliging
the companies to see that their contractors paid the
wages of the labourers once a week and in hard cash—
(Cheers)—and they had also provided that if the con-
tractors or sub-contractors should fail to fulfil that con-
dition from the Saturday to the Monday, that a sue,Loary
process should have effect upon them, and that they
should be obliged either to re-ray the labourer on Mon-
day, or in default to pay double the wages for
every day of delay.—(blear, hear.) But this was
not the only point on which they had con
sidered the interests of the railway labourers.
Another thing which they recommended we, this—and he
received the suggestion from his friend Mr. Stephenson—
it was this, that the companies should be required, upon
the demand of the Railway Commissioners, to erect
decent dwellings for the labourers before tke works corn
mence. Nothing could be ttronger than the language
used in the report which was laid upon the table—
stating that it was vain to think of improving the
morals unless a commencement was made by improving
the social condition of the people, and, in point of fact, it
has been found that railway labourers have been crowded
into lanes and places not fit for pigs. Some might think
that this was an interference with free trade in the can-
struction of railways. He was given to understand
from all the best contractors, that it was cheaper to them
in the end to consult the 'convenience and comfort of
their labourers.—(Hear, hear) Experience taught them
that if their men were uncomfortable, they would go to
the public-house and get drunk. Experience also
taught them that where the labourers could not be com-
fortably provided for, and had not the opportunity of
bringing their wives and families with them, they soon
got tired of their work and deserted from it. But there
was also another advantage which attended this arrange-
ment; it would afford to the poor-law guardians in Ire-
land additional means of providing for labourers out of
employment in their own parish. It might have been
harsh for the poor-law guardians to say to the idle la-
bourers who asked for relief, " Oh, :there is a railway
thirty or forty miles away where you might get work."
The labourer's answer was, " Where am I and my fa-
mily to lodge in the mean time, or even then." But
now, it would be in the power of the poor-law guardians
to say, there is an order for a pix, pickaxe, and a shovel,
go on a railway, and there you will find employment and a
dwelling, which, when you have got, you have no claim.
And thus he thought he should be affbrding his Noble
Friend great facilities for carrying out his Poor-
law Amendment Act. He would now, with the indul-
oolnifn
theetsh we
loHruilsodnu
ospec
o,c
oacome
on.
e toFw
ohtriheethh
ec
tohpnesuirc
clpeoornsasetti
ofroun ot fo'
do the
effect on the Irish poor.rate which the construction of
say, • f
that Mr. Smith would
naturally suppose
what measure was most calcu-
latedhe were asked
condition of Ireland—what
this effectively, he would turn
Andto thewnenvliddencaenyof Mr.
one
to improve the
egtSht remene scicteteh , of Deanst on.
answer should he make but that
bogs, to be sure ? But when by the Hon. Mem-
.
was examined before the Committee
ber for Montrose (Mr. Hume), and was asked what was
the best measure for the improvement of that country,
- mt
rthseym sihtno, u
ofld drain
Deanstone,t her
ihe said at once the construction of railways, to be. sure.
And he said that if the railways were constructed the
)
agricultural improvement would
gtfnyoetl
al
pyogeweera.
dsl—ras obtained
property
Hot
ja
pupuer
erearl
purchase,
hmtt,pyi
aft,
irn:ener:
yat"lhrtt
reh.
was
3771, Mr. Smith, of Deanstone, was decidedly of opinion
diet it would contribute to improve the land through
which they passed, if railroads were constructed, and
his opinion was that it would tend greatly to improve
it. Mr. Smith, of Deanstone, was asked what would
would affect agricultural produce, and his answer was
that the improvement of the land to the extent of one
mile
ts
thvoo ho:
o acres,u l
itsd
nab
wee
hrei such,
charh carriage
ahgt ret
it would pay for the whole coustruction of the railway.
,6341,00:
al-
lowed for a square mile, the produce of the land alone,
alone, would return a full per tentage, without saying
anything of back carriage. He found from this state-
ment,377/, ltis. 6d., and the return is calculated at 614/. 55.;
e
produce of the land on every mile of railway. Accord-
n
rttlia,ni) mitw,
aat
nyh
(ii;s
htcheai
el
assumedc
improvement
apt
ri
oo nveionitneantphtpeeoabf rateshdi
es
miles of railway would realise 152,8521. Now he had
proposed the construction of 1,500 miles of railway, and
n
lotafhnatdhtet
Ireland would be enhanced In value, taking only a dis-
trict of one mile on each side of the railway, to the ex-
hatl weaecrh
teueercarl
railway
lodirwoefivntaaai constructed, and how they
t
1,920,000 acres would be required for the 1,500 miles of
land, at 25 years purchase, and that he took as the fairest
estimate that could be stated—the improvement at 25
year's purchase would be to the extent of 23,033,6351.—
(Hear, hear.) This statement was made by Mr. Smith,
-of Deanstone, as his estimate of the impravement of laud
'n Ireland by the construction of ratlwa) s. That this
:enerasl
tecitordnuaoecli
anhel
cost railroads
ofafa
nandets,
tsah
hwshf
enters each
dt:dta
ictffehthcihs,

was not an over-statement might be ascertained trom
the experience obtained on the Glasgow and Edinburgh
Railway, the statement of which Mr. Smith gave in his

evidence. He said that before the construction of that
line the greater part of the land near to it was not worth
more than five shillings an acre, whereas now it was let
at from thirty to forty shillings an acre.—(Hear, hear.)
Now, taking ten shillings per acre as the improvement
vem- enl
oatibodlretveicsinno, ed by the construction of a railway, and calculating
at 25 years' purchase, the improvement of 1.920 000
trwouldthe
e23cbnoet,
or
country.
required rt etoddt
that
et theiadhs
trOO:
that, Igno(i:ft.
railwataiyiwngwhterioyctuhoold be found to yield an additional capital to
he
advantage to
alone,
It
wouldhis pormoppolsolyl
twhoassefriaabuo,uhrterwsituleserr;t
y
who were engaged on those works of idleness which
were commenced last May. There were 83,000 nun
employed to construct 3,800 miles of useless roads, and
not only would those labourers be usefully employed, but
their employment would tend to relieve the poor-rate
and the county cess by the construction of railways. If
he were to take the number of those who directly or in-
directly were assisted by the poor-rate at 5,000,000, it
appeared to him that the expenditure for these 1,500
miles would relieve the poor-rate to the extent of
15,000,0001. He found by the calculation usually
adopted for railways in England the money levied for
paor-rates amounted to one and a. half per cent. on the
gross return. This sum would give a gross return of
1,0001. per mile. In England and Scotland the
gross return was on an average 3,5001. 'per
mile. He took the gross return on railways
in Ireland at one-seventh of that of England,
and he believed that the railways in Ireland, when
finished and completely officered, would not cost rear so
much as this. He now gave the return for the railways
at 950/. a mile, though, according to the calculation it
ought to be 1,6001. a mile ; but not insisting on the
amount of 3,5001., as it was believed was the right sum,
he would assume that the mileage allowance for England
and Scotland, was only to be I,OOJI. per mile ; and, on
this calculation it was evident, that the poor-rate and
the county. cess of Ireland would be relieved to the ex-
tent of 22.600/. a year. Allowing, therefore, 21,0001.
per year fir the support of the destitute poor, the aged,
-and the infirm ; and he ought to state to the House that
this 22,600/. would be altogether a gain without any
loss. He would now take the expenses of working the
line. It appeared by the report of the directors of the
Arbroath and Forfar Railway, which, was the lowest in
the' mild of eip nse in Great Britain, that the
cost of working the line wee, on an averge, 2021 per
ruffle ; this included the expense of wear and tear, and of
new locomotive engines. Then, allowing the usual estimate,