DRAINAGE OF LANDS (IRELAND.) (Hansard, 9 February 1841)

§ Viscount Morpeth
rose pursuant to notice to move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the laws relating to the drainage of lands in Ireland. It was proposed by this bill, which corresponded in its objects and almost in all its clauses with the bill of the last Session, to promote the welfare of Ireland, more particularly in respect to its agriculture. The projected sites for draining, were, upon careful survey, to be determined on by the proper authorities for conducting such inquiries. The duty of conducting them to completion would devolve, of course, upon the board of works in Ireland, which would be at liberty to recommend that persons willing to undertake the drainage of certain districts should be allowed advances of money, to carry these partial drainages into execution, upon approved security. He thought that with modesty he might say, though the author of the bill, that it was a measure which, if carried into effect, promised to effect quietly and without exciting either hostility or apprehension, more good for Ireland and more permanent relief for her population in the way of affording a stimulus to industry and 461 means of employment for thousands of unemployed hands than had been effected by measures of greater pretension and more sounding name. He had little doubt in his own mind, that though it would not equally excite and agitate the public mind in Ireland, as the Irish registration bill of his noble Friend or that which he had originated, it would do more good for the people of that country, than either his noble friend's bill on registration or his own; and satisfied he perfectly was that it could never experience as much opposition from any quarter, as either his noble Friend's registration bill or his own. The noble Lord concluded by moving that leave be given to bring in a bill to promote the drainage of lands in Ireland to promote navigation, and increase the facilities of communication, by means of water-carriage.

§ Mr. Goulburn
thought it necessary the House should be apprised that it was likely, if the bill passed, they would be called upon to advance money belonging to the public for the purpose of carrying it into effect. If the noble Lord contemplated that by the present bill there would be such a call made on the public, as would occasion an increase in our unfunded debt, he must protest against any such improvident project, more particularly in our present embarrassed financial situation.

§ Viscount Morpeth
said, it was not in his contemplation to make any call upon the public for a grant of public money, but he saw no reason why persons or companies engaging in these undertakings, pursuant to the plan of the Irish Government, should not be permitted, like any other class of enterprising persons, to obtain loans of money upon good security.

§ Mr. Shaw
conceived that the most desirable object to follow, for the sake of Ireland was, the promotion of its agriculture, for which she was eminently adapted, in consequence of the great field open for exertion and enterprise in the waste lands and bogs of that country, and the abundant supply of labour at a cheap rate. After the agitation that had been got up on the subject of the exclusive consumption of articles of Irish fabric and manufacture, it was not very probable that anything attempted by its Government to increase the commerce of Ireland could be Very effective.

Mr. O'Connell
thought he had just rea- 462 son to complain of the course that had been taken by the two right hon. Gentlemen, who had seized upon the occasion of the noble Lord's moving merely for leave to bring in a bill, to read the House two distinct lectures on trade and finance. He hardly expected to have found any right hon. Member much excited by another project being broached for the draining of Ireland—a process with which every English Minister, it must be confessed, was very familiar. The jealousy of the right hon. ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer was natural enough. From habit and upon principle he was sensitively apprehensive of the danger that might result to England from letting any of the public money go over to Ireland; a jealousy, however, very unreasonable when that right hon. Gentleman must have known that, out of the administration of Crown property in Ireland, there had been remitted yearly to the Exchequer here, not less than 74,000l., which was spent in beautifying London, widening its avenues, and erecting statues in its public places and squares. He also might have found, from his being so conversant with the public exchequer, that not less a sum than little short of two millions of money was remitted by Ireland to the exchequer of England, for the use of this country. After this explanation, he trusted the House would not suffer itself to be misled into giving a colour to the suspicion that it participated in the uncharitable prejudices of the right hon. Gentleman. The House, too, might have been spared the allusion made to the prevalent agitation in Ireland, on the subject of giving a preference to Irish produce and manufacture. The subject had been discussed at length in most parts of Ireland; and the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Shaw) had been challenged to enter into the field. He might have entered into the arena with his friend Dr. Butt—but he declined it.