Mr. Fosteralso moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend an act, for the repair of post roads, passed in the parliament of Ireland, in the 32d of the king. The object of the amendment was, that postmasters may be enabled to send the mails by mail coaches, or otherwise, with greater safety and expedition than could be done at present, from the badness of many of the public roads, which, by the bill, should be repaired and altered, where the public convenience and advantage made it necessary.
§ Colonel Bagwellobserved, that if the bill were not speedily passed, it must lie over till next year, because the money for the proposed improvement was to be assessed by the grand juries at the assises.
Mr. Fostersaid, he did not wish to precipitate public business; but, at all events, that delay was necessary for accomplishing the object of the present measure. In the first place. surveyors must be sent to exa 131 mine and measure the ground wherever improvement was to be made; the returns of the surveys would be, of course, a tedious work; hence it was obvious, that hurry would not answer the purpose on the present occasion.—Leave was granted to bring in the bill.—The right hon. gent. likewise moved, for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Irish Spirit Licence bill, as far as it regarded distillers. The right hon. gent. observed, that it might be necessary to inform the house, that the law in Ireland did not allow more than four gallons of spirits to be carried from any distillery without a permit; the consequence of which was, that Liverpool jars, containing a quantity somewhat smaller that the law specified, had been employed for the purpose of taking advantage of the act. It was not unusual to have 20 or 30 men running from one establishment with liquor thus conveyed. The object of the bill which he meant to bring in was to remedy this detriment to the revenue. Leave was granted.—Adjourned.