The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-17 00:00:00

bad thus carried out this great means of internal communication.
Exert yourselves in the same way, and you will add to the value
of your landed property, and advance the interests and the hap-
piness of the people.—(Hear, hear.) If you will imitate the
example set you by this foreigner, and contrast it
with the examples of the schemes fostered by the
Legislature—if you will forget your religious diffe-
rences, and let a sense of the overwhelming
visitation under which your country is truly suffering, impress
on your minds—if you devote all your exertions to mitigate
this calamity, and to improve the social circumstances of the
millions dependent on you, not only for their present but
their future welfare, it is my firm belief that you will do more
to promote the interests and happiness of your native land,
than if, abandoning yourselves to misery and regret, and
despair, yon placed your confidence in Government grants,
and trusted in your difficulties to Government aid. (The Right
"Divide,
divide." Hon. Baronet sat down amidst loud andgeneral cs f g
heuerin
Lord G. BENTINCK rose amidstloud cries
divide." He said that the Right Honourable Baronet's only
stock argument appeared to be M. Bianconi.—( Hear, hear.)
They stood as the stock in trade of the Right Hon. Gentle-
rnnsure that it was in the recollection of every
gentleman He was
eman in that House that, when in the year 1839, the
Government of Lord Melbourne proposed a scheme for as-
sisting
railways in Ireland, the Right Hon. Gentleman gave
word for word what he (Lord G. Bentinck) had heard during
the last half hour, and which were the arguments he then
used against the Goverment of that day. If private enter-
prise, said the Right Hon. Gentleman, were to take its course,
they would have railways just as well and flourishing as they
bad their private cars. But seven years had since elapsed, and
what had been the result? Why, whilst in this country they
bad 2,600 miles of railway, in Belgium there were only 375
miles of railway completed. In Austria and Germany they
had 3,000 miles of railway, and in the United States of Ame-
rica they had 3,300 miles of railway. In Ireland, where en-
terprise had been left unaided by the Government—(lmmense
cheering)—they had about 123 miles of railway. Would the
House listen to the heavy policy of the Right Hon. Baronet?
They were well aware—although many might not
be of his opinion that as the Government aid
bad succeeded in Belgium, as Government aid had succeeded
in Austria and Germany, as Government aid had succeeded
in the United States of America, that he would call the aid of
Government for the benefit of Ireland, and not to supersede
private enterprise—(Cheers)—for that he never proposed to
do. The very spirit, the very principle of the Bill was, that
it should not supersede private enterprise, but that Govern-
meat should come in to aid it, to stimulate it.—(Cheers.)
The Right Hon. Gentleman had entered at great length on
the question of the finances of the country, and thus, as he
(Lord Geo. Bentinck) imagined, was proceeding to show them
how he (Lard Geo. Bentinck) would by his proposition inflict
a heavy tax upon the country. He had listened long and
patiently, but he could not gather from the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman how it was that a single tax, or a single burden of any
description, would be imposed on the country by his proposition.
The Right Hon. Gentleman had told them that they would
require seven millions sterling for the relief of Ireland, and
that for such a purpose some imposition must be forced on the
country. The Right Hon. Gentleman seemed entirely to
forget that seven millions was to be paid for unproductive
works.—(Cheers.) It was to be paid for the
feeding of the people of Ireland without any
return, and he (Lord G. Bentinck) proposed against his pro-
position to spend four millions sterling of money to be raised
upon the credit of the Government, to which two other millions
would be raised by share capital stimulated by the aid of the
Government, and of that six millions he was prepared to show
that not one-fourth'or one-half, but two-thirds, would be ex-
pended in labour. So that out of the seven millions which the
Right Hon. Gentleman proposes as the sum which it would
be necessary to raise to maintain the people of Ireland, he had
a right so say that he would deduct four millions by his scheme.
Then the Right Hon. Gentleman intimated to the House that
the Exchequer-bills were just wavering between a pre-
mium and depreciation, and it was upon the principle that they
would have to raise the price of Exehequer-billa, the Right
Non. Gentleman showed his caution and prudence, for he
forgot to tell the House to what extent the interest of the Ex-
chequer-bills would have to be raised. He was too prudent to
tell them to what extent the raising of the four million, would
affect them, because it was not a question with the House
and country how much the four millions would cause the funds
to fall, or how much the raising of these four millions
would make the rates of premium on Exchequer-bills,
but how much the raising of those four millions would reduce
the premium of Exchequer-bills. The Right. Hon. Gentle-
tleman prudently forebore from telling the House to what ex-
tent the raising of these four millions sterling would throw
down the funds, and the rate of premium of the Exchequer.
bills. He meant to say that it would reduce the premium 01
Exchequer-bills to the same extent, but whether it would re-
duce them one farthing per cent., or one halfpenny per cent.,
it was impossible to say. But they would suppose that the
Right Hon. Gentleman expected that the raising of the four
millions sterling to be expended in profitable employment
in this country would cause the funds to fall to 85, and thus
raise the interest of money to about 31,4 per cent., and that
they would have in consequence to raise the interest of Ex-
chequer-bills % per cent., what would the cost to the country
amount to? Counting that upon the whole 27,000,000 of Ex-
chequer-bills, they would not expend 270,0001. per annum ;
and what did they hear last night from the Hon. Gentleman
the Chancellor of the Exchequer ? That their staff alone, the
maintaining of their army of 14,587 men, cost 78,000/. per
month. The Hon. Gentleman, shrinking from the dread of
incurring on the country the necessity of paying 270,003/. a
year more for Exchequer-bills, thought nothing of 78,000/.
per month to be paid under the plan he advocated and sup-
ported for the maintenance of this idle staff—not of destitute
shareholders—andhe certainly knew that they were not a party
of destitute poor.—(Hear, hear.) The whole of this attack
was for what the Right Hon. Gentleman called the non-govern-
ment of Ireland; but he would say whether those reports were
not spread for the credit of themselves. He was aware that
this relief had been granted, but he was not at all aware that
the Right Hon. Gentleman now at the head of Irish affairs
Was Secretary for Ireland in the year I7B9.—(Laughter.) Not
did he at all understand how the Royal Canal, which was
begun in 1788, could in any way affect that report. This was
an inference which he drew from the circumstances, and there..
fore, it was that he warned the House of the tenor of that
report. It should be recollected that this was a parallel case,
and that in the borrowing of the 4,000,0001. he had stated a
cue to the House which would amply repay it for the
advancement of the money. The Nobla Lord then read a
series of extracts to show his position, and to show what was
the position of the several individuals who were disposed for the
revival of the company. He was quite aware that there was
much of energy and plausibility in the proposal of the Right
Hon. Gentleman. But the Right Hon. Gentleman, in the
conclusion of his speech, had said he would allow that these
railways would be of use to Ireland. But what was the
statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman ?—why, that this
would be the wiser measure. This was the difficulty in the
way of an adjustment for the affairs of Ireland. The grant
was made in 1781, and the canal was only begun in 1789. He
stated this, not for the sake of argument, but because he was
anxious that the difficulties under which the Government
was placed should be done away with, and because he wished
to answer the arguments of the Hon. Member for Stamford, and
because he felt that the great relief was to be obtained by turn-
ing other railways to the natural source. He was quite aware
that there was a great difficulty, but yet that difficulty ought
to be met. His great object was to extend railways to Galway.
SO as to afford plenty of employment for the fishermen. It
appeared by the returns that upwards of 15,0001. per mile had
been expended, and that had been within the last four years.
The Commissioners had made a report on the 23d June, stating
theie circumstances, in which it was shown that these
data were unsatisfactory. Then, as to the machinery, he
confessed that it was singularly defective, and if
it were proceeded in he should feel it his duty to bring the
matter before the. Legislature. He was only surprised that
the cumbrousness of the machinery should have se interfered
with its working, for he had hoped that the Hon. Member
for Kilkenny would have cleared up this difficulty, for he firmly
believed that from a quarter to a half of the population of Ire-
land would be thrown into destitution unless their wants were
provided for. This point had been mooted during the last
seven years, and its resolution affected the whole of the popu-
lation of Ireland, and had, in fact, produced a social revolution.
The great difficulty appeared to be to make this loan, but fron
the financial statement that had been made by his Right Hon
Friend, he did not anticipate any objection to his own project
It was, however, evident that the formation of these railways
would lead to the consumption of excisable articles. He was
not aware of the precise position in which the two countries
stood, but of this he was assured that from 600,000/. to
700,000/. would be added to the expenditure of the country.
That exposition had now run the gauntlet of three Chancellors o,
the Exenequer and a late Prime Minister, and cheretore,
that they might take if ro usat no man in that House was
prepared to oppose it. They might, therefore, cons'dez• the propest
tion of the' }tight Hon. Gentleman to be tit's—to prevent the addition
of 650,0001. to the revenue of the country without the imposition of
any new tax whatsoever. The Right Hon. Gentleman followed In the
track of th e Chancellor of the Exchequer, and conflrmed his statement
that there were no railways in Ireland excepting on the eastern coast.
What, no railways a xcepting ea the eastern coast, where, as the
Chancellor of the Exchequer assured them, there was no distress ".
It might be true that the completed railways, and those now in
process of construction, were chiefly en the eastern coast, but did It
not occur to the Right Hon. Gentleman that perhaps the absence
of distress might be owing to the fact of railways being already con-
structed there ? There remained some lines to construct on that part
of the country, as seventy miles of railway from Dublin to Wexford.
seventy or seventy-flue miles from Drogheda to Portadown, thirty cis
forty miles frona Belfast to Navan and Coleraine—these lines all re-
mained to be constructed on the eastern coast ; the other railways
which yet remained to be constructed extended north-west, south-
west, and due west, and there it was universally admitted that the
greatest distress prevailed. What part of Ireland had shown
blacker picture of misery than the county of C.,rk ? and yet to the
city of Cork no less than four railways aiverged. There was an-
other railway to Athlone—there was a Rill before Parliament, which
he was informed was sure to pass, as it was unopposed—a Bill from
.Athlone to Galway and Roscommon. Now, his Bill not only pro
vided for the Act. already ohtaio,..d, hat for those alao which were tc
be afterwards obtained. There was also a branch line from Duhlinto
Mullingar, and a Bill had bees obtained last year to Sligo, the Act
lag without opposition, but from the Incompetency of the parties to
raise the money the railway was abandoned. He was sure that
if the Bill be bad had the honour of introducing
to the House were passed, the line to Sligo would
again be brought before Parliament and carried.—(Hear, hear.)

Then they would have railways to every part of Ireland ; there
would be no county In Ireland which would not be traversed by a
railway. The Right lion. Gentleman told the house that there

would be great difficulty in raising the 4,000,0001. sterling per annum

-
without lowering the hinds. Rai;ing 4,600,044/. ! Why, in time of
war, they had for many years raised not less than 104,400,0001. per
annum, but the thought might have occurred to the Right lion.

Baronit that last year there was no less than 110,000,001. sterling of
deposits shut up in the Court of Chancery, waiting for car ain Bills

to. pass through Parliament, and in the next live years
122,000,0001. would be expended on the completion of line-

which had already received their Acts. What would I.)c
the operation of this loan upon the funds ? Why hi

the month of December, 184.5, the funds were 93, and in June of the

following year, 97. What pretence, then, was there for saying that
in a country like this, where it was calculated there was an annual
_ _ . .

saving of 5001,0001., they could not raise 4,000,0001. for the improve•
ment of the empire without lowering the funds ? The funds were not
to any great extent affected when 20,000,0001. were raised for the

emancipation of the West Indian slaves. The Right lion. Baronet
said, also, that private enterprise, even when supported by the in.
fltience of Government, had always failed in Ireland. He would
wish him to tax his memory, and to refer to the years between 1822
and 1828 (and he would find a report on the subject on the table)!
the House), when an outlay of 140,0001. was made in the corintieffet
Galway, Mayo, Cork, and Kerry, and the revenue it,
these towns alone had risen to 6,0001. per annum.
It was said Government had spent something like a million and a
'alf upon the Caledonian Canal, and the investment had proved a dead loss
int.t
_toy the State. But- what was the cause of its proving a deaf
;174:* _711,_., because Government did not go upon the principle of
7,4 st;:e""4:47..slice to private enterprise. but acted upon the principle
fore the LI -.8 en their own account. By the measure, however, be.
go upon the io' attempt would be made, but it would rather
Member for Lincoegle of stimulating private enterprise. The Hen.
Passed,
he had told them a few clays ago that if this Bil:
were
managemcconuld ensploy 50,000 men on Irish railways,
under his
on the Belfast, prom% 7,000 of whom would be placed
was the state of
that
d a" et
t intry ?
and Navan line. Now, what
received from the Why, in a letter he hail
Neath, he had a descrlptie otr of the Protestant Bishop c.l
of the house was represented, •
a family living in Cavan. The woman
child, some six years of ageg, ir after child-birth, as lying dead, a
nothing but a shirt on, lyin dealic;gincletzt by her aide, the father, with
over him—all of whom had died frlstraw, and the rats crawling
only a mitigated sketch of the picture ;
...starvation. But this was
carried, 70,000 men could be at once put
indtuYtr, if this Bill were
very town. The letter, moreover, stated that nurantoyment in that
died of starvation, and that, in the opinion of the werint Of
the people
sure of the Noble Lord was the only
.ei,..erre, the mea.
in Parliament calculated to meet the emergency of the crisis.
The Noble Lord then read a number of other letters from ina..-34
similar imp°rt, and all expressing their opinion that tke proposal 0.
the Noble Lord was the only beneficial one which had as yet been
propounded to the House. He offered to the House a measure fin
which he wanted a clear stage and no favour—one which was not
shaped to further private interest or public patronage. He „.a.
destroas to answer the arguments brought forward by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer (who, he regretted, had left the House
lance of the Absence of the
from indisposition), but in, conseq