§ Order for Committee read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Mr. Deputy Speaker do now leave the Chair."—(Mr. William Henry Smith.)
GENERAL SIRGEORGE BALFOURopposed going into Committee on the Bill, on the ground that past experience had shown that the harbour was not required as a harbour of refuge, or for any other purpose worth the money it was proposed to expend upon it. No one was more anxious than he was to have harbours formed along our exposed coasts, especially harbours of the description of Ardglass, intended for boats employed in the fisheries, but no course was more likely to delay the construction of such harbours than the attempts now made to re-construct the harbour of Ardglass. It was upwards of a third of a century since the works of Ardglass Harbour were swept away in one of the storms that prevailed on that coast, and the present date we were still wanting in that useful knowledge what was so much needed in order to guide our engineers in the formation of harbour works. His opposition to the proposed expenditure on this harbour merely 1763 rested on the conviction that it would be wise for the Government, before risking the large sums which were needed to form the many harbours required for our coasting fisheries' trade, to acquire that information what might give a far greater prospect of successful results than the country had yet had for the millions which had been uselessly spent on the many harbours that had proved disastrous failures.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, that very great care had been taken to ascertain the sufficiency of grounds upon which the proposal was made. Ardglass Harbour had no doubt suffered from storms; but he believed it had suffered still more from the neglect of those who ought to have repaired it. The harbour was necessary for a refuge to the fishing vessels and the general trade of the country. The appropriation now asked for was a wise and good one, and would be beneficial to the fishing trade of the country.
§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYsaid, he did not concur in the view taken by the hon. and gallant Member for Kincardineshire (Sir George Balfour). He thought that the House was well entitled to take the proposal of the engineers, which was made after minute investigation, and advance the small sum of money asked for.
§ CAPTAIN NOLANthought the harbour was necessary for the trade, and hoped the hon. and gallant Member would not press his opposition.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ House resumed.
§ Bill reported; without Amendment, to be read the third time upon Monday next.