The Sun.
London, England, 1824-09-25 00:00:00

sideretisis it relates—§l. To ' the Surveys and 2. To the,
Valuation. Each of these demands . consideratiOn, with the
.vijk.or defining the duty to be done, and the nnusj by: which
their ditty is to be performed.
L'Fhesurface Ireland consists of about 12;1104,1190 Irish
acres, or nearly 20000/90 acres An,English meastinementi tli-
vided into four provinces, 32 eountiea at larget..eight counties
of cities, towns- or Other independent local tittlidtetiona ; '252
;baronies, about 2;4ooiniVlshes r. and a•furtlier ci4llSubilivisian,
already alluded to in this, Report, gerterally knownst as: sown-
lands, but:bearing different namea in the. several .counties :in
Ireland. These sub.deitominations, which may be g,:nerally
expaasaby the word townland;'.are' the ancient and rnog-
mcountry.;zed divisions of the Alley: form the basis of tl,e.
Down survey ; they have been long used in the Apportionment
and collection of ,coonty sand parochial rates. The cotinty
surveys executed iu,all cases, except two, are admitted to 6,,
useless as'a basis for taxation, beeausethe boundaries antlnrea
of the tovmlandshave been omitted ; and in the latest county
survey contemplated,, the Grand Jury acted Upon a conviction
that a survey by townland was indispensable:. It itv obvious,
that if a Baronial or oven a parochial subdiVision werealone to
be effected, sufficient data Would not. be furniThed for the, ap-
portionmentuf the loud taxes{ and.. if, on the other hated, a.
survey by fields were to be undertaken, as in France: aid Ravi.'
ria, the expellee of such a work wonid be augmented, and Its
completion postponed.' A survey by-toinlands appear to your
Committee to he the rational ll:tedium between these two ex-
tremes; sufficiently close for practical purposes, without shit-
ing at any extreme minuteness of detail. Your Committee
have closely examined this itnportant branch of the subject,
and after baying placed upon their Minutes the evidence of
those who, from local knowledge and professional experience.
were qualified to form an opinion, they feel it their' ditty to exl.
press their decided conviction, that a survey which did not in-
clude the boundaries and contents of tewolands, would be in-
antlicient for the purposes of valuation. Your Committee are
of opinion, that, could the counties of Ireland be furnished
with a map as perfect in its execution and as accurate in its de-
tails as the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain, it would not an-
swer for the purposes of the Grand Jury taxation, unities a mi..
nute subdivision, namely, that of thcfaeparate Townlancia, were
superadded to the boundaries of counties and of parishes.
our Committee conceive, that the difficulty of tracing and
of surveying these boundaries of Townlands is notOO consider.
able as might at first be apprehended.
They have learned with satisfaction from Major Colby, that
" the additional time it would require would not be very'con-
siderable, provided the boundaries were set out." Mr. Griffith
considers "that there would not be any great difficulty in
ascertaining the boundary of the townlancis." Mr. Bald la of
the same opinion. -Mr. Edgeworth states, that it would not
have added material!y to the expellee of the survey of Roscent
coon, executed by him and Mr. Griffith, if he had laid flown
these subdivisions; and Mr, After, whose survey of Kilkenny
actually includes the boundaries of tovrnlands, has informid
your Committee " that these boundaries are less difficult to
trace than those of parishes." Had the result of their inireiti-
gad= been different, and had the tensible delays and diffi-
culties connected with the representation of' these subdivisions
appeared greater than they really are,. your Committee would
not have ,felt themselves at liberty to abandon a principle es-
sentially. necessary for the success of' the measure to which
their attention has been directed.

It has given your Committee great satisfaction to think that
the direction of the Survey can be undertaken by the Board of
Ordnance ; they cannot conceive any other authority so well
calculated to ensure the, scientific accuracy and unity of prin.
ciple which ought to distinguish a great National work. The
high character of the officer who conducts the Trigonometrical,
Survey of England, the advantages derivable from military
organization, and the command'Of the hest instruments, afford
a sufficient security for the successful completion of the work.:
Your Chmussittee feel a perfect txtrifidence that the Map, about
to be furniska, will comprehend the lecalsubdieisions; without
which . it would notanswer the peculiar pnrpoßA of ialuation.
Were the boundaries of 'rownlands to be omitted, the counties
would be obliged to supply the' deficiency by independent
efforts ; and the experience of the past, with the state of ton
many of the existing local surveys, sufficiently prove, that it
would be in vain 'to expect, through the medium of the Grand
Juries, weir sepiolite maps as cou:ldthbee
increased,ceoi e expense
compared anti ndsduachenoui
doublenibfeirniei,dr
(f)°preraantTo. ii4ei would'il null:bale. considerablyPt e
work would be produced at a sacrifice?! time, cueveuience and
ecn
Your Committee fully agree in the opinion of Major Colby,
that steps should be taken without delay ta'facilitate the rt.*:
1 cing orthe Townland boundaries, a measure which that officer
conceives would reduce, by one half,' the tiMeCequired for this
particular branch 'of the survey;' With this view- your .Coin-
niittee have already instructed, their Citainetur to bring .in a
Bill; winch they trust may pass into a law during the present
semi", re.rminng the several 'Grand Juries' o earry into effect
01
)3e I
:01
tscr,tfini3vli this
i :5130he Yt theint
sue
that
the 0r d .
the provisions. of die iipth-Gep..3, so. far. as respects the tables
of TOwnlauils and their acreable contents. They also conceive
that every othia: aid and faCtlity shotild be 'afforded to the offi-
cers of the Ordnance, both by placing, at their!divpottal an 'en..
larged supply of unproved. instruments, and bygiying them a'
free access to all the existing, Public maps. and records which
bear upon the subject. The Down' Survey, that of the For-
feited Lands, the county and baronial maps, however imperfect
in themselves, maybe of some service. When the objects with:
which the intended Survey is 'undertaken are' understood," your
Voinmittee arc convinced that not only will all the local matt°.
Thies in. Ireland afford their zealous co-operation, but that,
notnyprivate individuals will, on public grouuds, allow access-
to such maps and other documents as can be of service in tracing
the boundaries. .
. .
In the Survey of Roscoinmon, ,the bishops and clergy af-
forded every facility in settling, parochial boundaries.; your.
Committee trust, that such aid will in the present instance be
police through-
renewed, and assisted by the magistrates and the
out Ireland. They are happy to learn, front the evidence, that
so far from there being any reason to apprehend obstructions
on the part of the peasantry, a reliance may be placed on their
good will and co-operation. It is, however, important that
the nature and object of the proposed work should be thereby.
explained and understood; when that explanation is given,.
there'can be no doubt but that the proprietors and occupiers
of hind in Ireland, . will feel that ,the completion of the Survey
and valuation is litqly to conduce to the general.good, anti add
to the value of property.
, ,
Whilst
~,,,:i:i ti:l;htinoiive,engst
uglixued:t,titailru
individuals
u%inirottatecdtnii:yi.i....t.
)ion of the Survey cannot be placed in better hands than in
these'of the Ordnance officers, they cannot but add, diet it is
ri
rirub,wei
trsxyhtho
re
snrioi,%ftecusit..tdeig,,hilitii,ee:7l;isno,tt
ota
to,ll,coictrtsoci;e
dvittieeisgtotriairricrnie
occurred
interruption
u(iiitiTtiluiiiii,ingettpi
ithieclwe:
:lei
ydt,oaew,nisinfect
siivrir
ildl.
yeeenuadgrot el.iontias ntanrehno.bitiidhntet already,it
liiesiiltolettsawetpflociairrrese.i:ttrrtlo
-accelerate completion. It may be
to
' nonce Survey of Ireland must, in the course of a few. years, have.
been. Undertaken by. that `department; and that by, hastening the
period of its execution for the important purposes of, the Mali
Valuation, there will be ultimately no greater expense borne
by the public. 'A limited number bf persons eniployed, appears
a questionable policy on the- principles of economy, as the di.
reefing staff must be maintained nu luau for . the controul . of, a
limited, than for the guidance of a more extended operation.. It
is satisfactory to yohr Committee to rePtirt, that the former Sur=
veys carried on. under Parliamentary authority, have established
in Ireland a school of scientific topography. Whether it may
he expedient that any of the respectable civil engineers of Ire-
land should be employetl,, underthe authority of )the Ordnance,
it is altogether. for .that Board, in its discretion, to determine;
but your Conunittoe,pctfeetly agree with .111.kjer Colby,, that a
central and'effectualventroul is indispentible to the successful
termination of this undertaking. The best'lteitle for elleetilg
the intended Survey, appease to your Committee that of six
inched to the English mile: this will affbni sufficient means to
. the engineers to enter into all the detailed infbrmation requisite
it is the scale on which the Ordnance survey of Kent was ori.
ginally commenced. With respect to the.engraving, it may be
advisable to folio* the same scale adopted in the British reaps.
A protraction upon adolible Seale- of 12 inches to the irii/d for
cities), anti great towns, where the Valuation must necossatily be 1
more minute, .has beet) rocoatuended,,and appears desirable.,?
as .well
as the bounda
ry of -the uninclosed lands, whether bog,'
The' nitiindes of the principal Mountains should also, be given,,',
.tnottruttio, or rock. The latter will correspond to the distinc.
tion traced on the Ordnance map, : between cultivated ,lands,,
commons_;.ned woods:' . '
. , Your Committee hay 6 learned' that the-hydrograpitie charti,‘
now extant, of the coasts and harbours of Ireland are inac-
curate and unsatisfactory. Combined operations between
the Admiralty and the Ordnance, for the purfose of fur.