HL Deb 07 March 1839 vol 46 cc1-2
Lord Brougham

presented petitions from two places in the county of Tipperary, in favour of promoting Railways in Ireland. Having presented these two petitions from the respectable persons who had signed them, it was but fair for him to state, that although he approved of every facility that could possibly be given for the construction of railways in Ireland, yet, that he should most decidedly oppose any attempt to obtain from this country a grant of the public money, for that, in his opinion, most unjustifiable project—very fit to be carried into effect without any undue pressure, either for or against it, highly unfit to vote money for it, to go to a country to which it would not naturally go—contrary to every sound principle of legislation—and, very likely in any country, except Ireland, to be made the means of practices which were called jobs.—Therefore he gave notice, that he should strenuously oppose any such effort, and with a view to enable him to oppose it more successfully, he should next week move for certain returns for showing what, in an inflammatory way, was generally stated to be untrue, namely, the immense sums we got from Ireland, and the very little we did for it. It was too much the practice to make such statements; he did not grudge any thing that was done for Ireland, but he wished to have the truth stated.

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