§ SIR H. W. BARRONbegged to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer the questions of which he had given notice—namely, what amount of funds there were now available in Ireland for the purpose of lending with interest sums towards the carrying on of public works in that country? Also, whether it were intended to propose or sanction any measure by which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in Ireland would be empowered to sell any portion of their estates, and thereby pay off the 60,000l. they had borrowed from Government?
The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, in reply, that on reference to an Act of Parliament, passed three years since, the right hon. Baronet opposite would observe that a sum of money amounting to 300,000l. had been appropriated for public works generally in Great Britain. On this sum demands might be made from Ireland and every part of the United Kingdom. But there had been a further sum of 60,000l. proposed exclusively for the use of Ireland, and that had been placed under the control of the Board of Public Works in that country, to which all applications for loans were to be made: 50,000l. would be available for this purpose as occasion required. With respect to the question relative to the compelling of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to sell their property, he had to answer that the debt due by that body originally was 100,000l., a considerable portion of which had been already repaid; and it was not, therefore, thought necessary to take any 639 further measures to compel the repayment of that money.