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
view towards the Government, and he had hoped
that the Noble Lord and the Government would
take consideration of it in the same spirit as if they
were a greet re-elected Committee appointed to consider
and decide upon the question. The idea of the Bill oris
gloated as tar back as September last, at the house of
his Hon. Friend Sir John Tyrrell, and the Bill itself
was drawn up as far back as November last, but no notice
of the Bill was given to the protectionist Members of
that House, except the Hon. Member for Harwich, who
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
calling upon England to grant a large sum of money, it
would be unbecoming to submit it to any jury exeePt
that House. He trusted, however, that Irish Members
would not think that he had exercised any slighting te
hs•
cretion when he forbore to consult with them be for
ir troducing this measure to the House. He felt, smog"
other matters, that it was likely there would be s gene-
rid clamour against any proposition that would cotne
forward about Ireland ; and, besides, 1111
thought it was much more consistent for the
Dish gentlemen to act as they had done;
lie thought this was more favourable for Ions;
gentlemen and props ietors than that which they proposed
themselves. He (Lord G. Bentinek) and his hien
given the
had arrived at this conclusion after having
subject their best consideration. The present tneaglisre
would have, in his (Lord G. Bentinck's) opinion, t`,ll
effect of stimulating the employment of the peoPtleisib
Ireland. This was the object proposed by the ir
gentlemen themselves; but they should recollect al.
the best line would not have the effect they (Lord 111,
Bentinek and his party) desired. His Right Hon. I'
had never engaged in any enterprise that he had
been crowned with success, and who may consequently,
perhaps, be the best judge of these matters, hew:it
of opinion that no such encouragement as the ,r'et
could give would effect the objects here proposed. e
might do, so slowly, but immediately it would not have
the effect of stimulating labour. They could form Oul
idea of the number of labourers employed by railwar'
The London and Birmingham line employed one hull;
dred men a mile for four consecutive years. Taking ,Ulla
line of those proposed in Ireland, Mr. Stephenson uu
stated that to execute the whole it would require the
vices of sixty men a mile for four consecutive years, sus
for 150 miles-90,000. But artificers, and many otherseei,
exactly engaged on the line of railway would be alto
employed to the extent of over 9,000, besides those wPf
would be employed in different ways to the extent °s
180,000. But there were other miscellaneous employ
meats, which, it could not be denied, by the expenditt.,
wisely, of a large sum of money, would give etor°b7o
went to 110,000. But the whole number who would
thus employed, would amount to 550,000 for four eel'd
secutive years. Now, if a measure which he was prelo,t,
to show, would cost this country nothing—(fleariv
and which would not only cost it nothing, but add treatl
wealth—if by a measure such as this, employ of
would be given for four consecutive years to 550,00.0
the industrious population of Ireland, who would reee,t,t
good wages during that time, it must be admitted tf
he went a long way to assist his Noble Friend (Lor° et
Russell) in carrying out his New Pour-law Anle3dilleie
Act.—(Cheers.) But he not only expected by ten
proposition to give employment to this large ntlo3,oer
and consequently subsistence at least during the
nd
years, but they had not forgotten the comforts 11,0
interests of the labourers, in following out
recommendations of the Committee to which he 'lOl
referred, they had inserted clauses in the Bill, ohllgithe
the companies to see that their contractors pal- b..ss
wages of the labourers once a week and in hard C 35 or
(Cheers)—and they had also provided that if the eti,
tractors or sub-contractors should fail to fulfil that coorf
dition from the Saturday to the Monday, that a sumul ton
process should have effect upon them, and that „ota
should be obliged either to re-pay the labourer on for
day, or in default to pay double the wag" iveit
every day of delay.—(Hear, hear.) But this
coos
not the only point on which they bad▪ „rag,
sidered the interests of the railway dye
Another thing which they recommended was this--eure
received the suggestion from his friend Mr. StePhelisupott
it was this, that the companies should be required, rot
the demand of the Railway Commissioners, toseoo,
decent dwellings for the labourers before the work cogs
mence. Nothing could be stronger than the 1111318.--•
used in the report which was laid upon the itt the
stating that it was vain to think of ireprovillis%
morals unless a commencement was made by imPrfset, tt
the social condition of the people, and, in point of wtlea
has been found that railway labourers have been ekr,°titleit
into lanes and places not fit for pigs. Some mighty cote
that this was an interference with free trade th
.04
structiou of railways. He was given to ttoderithette
from all .the best contractors, that it was cheaper to
~.0 of
in the end to consult the convenience and cotnt_vebeet
their labourers.—(Hear, hear.) Experience tang.hit..'e to
that if their men were uncomfortable, they 3
wynt tcleb aloe
the public-house and get drunk. xrioetabe 003;
taught them that where the labourers Could
n, they soots
fortably provided for, and had not th
bringing their wives and families with
it. But there
got tired of their work and deserted from
was also another advantage which attended this arrange
,
ment; it would afford to the poor-law guardians too' of
tehoeppnortunicy 0.
land additional means of providing for labourers en
employment in their own parish. It might have be,
i.
harsh for the poor-law guardians to say to the idle cf
bourers who asked for relief, " Oh, :there is a .rsilnifN
thirty or forty miles away where you might get vrer'it'ts
The labourer's answer was, " Where am I and
"wives
wily to lodge in the mean time, or even then.ne
now, it would be in the power of the poor-law guardlej,
to say, there is an order for a pix, pickaxe, and a sh(lesta
go on a railway, and there you will find employment
dwelling, which, when you have got, you have no Noble
And thus he thought he shculd be affording his heat'
Friend great facilities for carrying out his ...del'
law Amendment Act. He would now, with thethe
Bence of the House, come to the consideration of
of
effect on the Irish poor-rate which the construeToia
these lines would occasion. For the purpose of
this effectively, he would turn to the evidence of see
Smith, of Deanston. And would any ,
it
naturally suppose that Mr. Smith would s'*C„'lett:
he were asked what measure was seost,,,,esi
lated to improve the condition of Ireland .tobeif
answer should he make but that they should dralestoo/'
bogs, to be sure ? But when Mr. Smith, of De° geol:
was examined beforesthe Committee by the
what
her for Montrose (Mr. Hume), and was asked estrr
the best measure for the improvement of that sere
he said at once the construction of railways, t° bt the
And he said that if the railways were construe %este
agricultural improvement would follow.—(lefeartoool
Mr. Smith, of Deanstone, was decidedly of throat!
that it would contribute to improve the law „ad, sue
which they passed, if railroads were construct-aro/4
his opinion was that it would tend greatly to woo'
it. Mr. Smith, of Deanstone, was asked what thel,
follow if these railroads were constructed, and
would affect agricultural produce, and his ans: of• Pg
that the improvement of the land to the exteewb,
mile on each side of the railway would be sucittlifs,:i
it would pay for the whole construction of the tit he o'.
Ile showed that on an area of 640 acres, Willed sloe'
lowed for a square mile, the produce of the 1° 04;
as it enters into his calculation, for its mere C t
alone, would return a full per centage, withou.
anything of back carriage. He found from thls;ioo.7
ment, that the cost of the carriage per square 11141,55.:
3771, 13s. 6d., and the return is calculated at 61for
and this difference was the advantage obtained.eor°o
produce of the land on every mile of railway. e ,01
ing to his calculation, at twenty years' Pure7he'",gt
miles of railway would realise 152,8524 NOw.,,,‘siss'is
proposed the construction of 1,500 miles of rap^ oaf ,
from this calculation it appeared that land proP tiO
Ireland would be enhanced in value, taking wall, t%;
trict of one mile on each side of the railway, t°.o
tent, and he assumed on the basis of this calculatte;lo
1,920,000 acres would be required for the 1,500 01(0 Ur;
railway; the improvement of the landed propel, oire:s
land, at 25 years' purchase, and that he took as et• ,"/
estimate that could be stated—the improvetue-63Sto.
year's purchase would be to the extent of 23,p33'
(Hear, hear.) This statement was made by Air; ofito
of Deanstone, as his estimate of the improve ute%st tPts
in Ireland by the construction of railways. fr°ll
was not an over-statement might be ascertsoldieberei•
the experience obtained on the Glasgow and ein bat
Railway, the statement of which Mr. Smith gu/sf oils
evidence. He said that before the constructs riot toles
line the greater part of the land near to it was pa p)
more than five shillings an acre, whereas nose, liOleit
at from thirty to forty shillings an acre.—(leeat./%
Now, taking ten shillings per acre as the itePlealstilite
obtained by the construction of a railway, and;361.926, of
at 25 years' purchase, the improvement 01 orsilo' to
acres, which would be required for the 1,5° spits' 00
railway would be found to yield an additional tbst, at
the country of 23,000,0001.; and he did thinpith gill
this head alone, his proposal was fraught the °,ity
advantage to the country. But that was 11°' usew.eit
advantage. It would employ those labourer:6, svples
who were engaged on those works of idlers q 000 °did
were commenced last May. There were B'"oltds, bat
employed to construct 3,800 miles of useless riovecl,
,te
not only would those labourers be usefully en3P nieer•Pif
their employment would tend to relieve the,:,:,01. j„,
and the county cess by the construction of ra"_,lv at it
he were to take the number of those who diregt;o'.:ooo,soo
directly were assisted by the poor-rate at s'hese 1, 01
appeared to him that the expenditure fort extent
111
miles would relieve the poor-rate to the.oti usuittor
15,000,000/. He found by the calculett levied eye
adopted for railways in England the money t, ou of
poor-rates amounted to one and a half per ce. returtlise
gross return. This sum would give afi r(45,-0 asp,' per
1,0001. per mile. In England and 3 5001. ter
gross return was on an average ' railer
on 10
mile. He took the gross return , Fieg
La
in Ireland at one-seventh of that
joelhod, vro6o
and he believed that the railways
notr Cost i•ellfsis
finished and completely officered, wouldthe railo's it
much as this. He now gave the return
hwer
calculatioPos
at 9501. a mile, though, according to t, ling- on Sts'
ought to be 1,6001. a mile ; but not insise
right otij
amount of 3,5001., as it was believed was the
,ogits
he would assume that the mileage allot
; st""',oo
and Scotland, was only to be 1,0004 pero
h poor-rata -0,
vance for r'ri
this calculation it was evident,
g therefore, 21,v ,j,
the county-cess of Ireland wouldthbaet
tent of 22,6001. a year.
Ail"dienstitute poor, thelst
per year for the support of tae
state to the House gel
and the infirm ; and he ought to • without "hie
ether a gain t
this 22,600/. would be allege,
expenses of workine,
therefore,
to thtoos
loss. He would now take the
was the' I°/illtlig
Arbroath and Forfar Railway, which
Britain, :that
2021 jot
lino. It appeared by the report of the directors o'lo
the scale of expense in Great
averge;
cost of working the line was, on
th usual 010%
allowin e t
new locomotive engines. Then of
mile ; this included the expense of
and deduct 40 per cot for the workingthe line,
.
!eaellar and tear, 011,01