IRISH MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES. (Hansard, 26 March 1811)

Mr. Wharton
brought up the Report of the Committee of Supply respecting the grants voted for Miscellaneous Irish Services. On the question that the Resolutions be now read,

Mr. Hutchinson
rose and said, that there was one Resolution respecting the sum granted in aid of the Roman Catholic Seminary in Ireland, which he could not suffer to pass in the state the House then was. He trusted, therefore, that the right hon. gent. would agree to postpone the further consideration of that Resolution until a fuller attendance could enable them to give it the consideration it called for.

Mr. Foster
said, that he was not aware that the hon. gentleman's objection to the smallness of the sum would extend that night to opposing the sum itself. Delay might be attended with great inconvenience.

Mr. Hutchinson
said, that the principle of providing suitably for the education of the Catholic clergy in Ireland, the clergy of four millions, was in his mind a paramount consideration. He would not allow such a Resolution to be hurried through such a House as was then present.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer
said, that he could not see what object the hon. gentleman could obtain by the delay he required; there could be no doubt that inconvenience might arise from it.

Mr. Foster
was against further unnecessary delay.

Mr. Hutchinson
then said, that if he could not convince gentlemen of the propriety of postponing the further consideration of a question of such delicacy and moment to what appeared to him to be a more seasonable opportunity, he must exercise his right, and now call upon the Speaker to——

Mr. Foster
here rose, and said that he had no objection to postpone the further consideration of that Resolution till tomorrow. The Resolutions were then severally read and agreed to; the one respecting Maynooth College having been postponed till to-morrow.

Mr. Hutchinson
said, that in the Resolutions just read, they had voted a sum little short of 200,000l. for Dublin charities, improvements, and other matters of local expenditure connected with Dublin merely, exclusive of one or two charities of a more general nature, as the Foundling, Hibernian, Marine, and Protestant Charter schools; with the exception of these, the above sum was devoted to the local purposes of Dublin, while the sum of 2,500l. was thought enough for similar objects in the city of Cork, the second city in Ireland, and, perhaps, the first naval station in the empire, to say nothing of its great and extensive commercial interests. It would be far from him to attempt to oppose in any way the liberality of parliament in aid of the charities or interests of Dublin; but he could not help thinking, that the disproportion between the grant of 200,000l. to the one place, and 2,500l. to the other, was out of all rule, and by no means to be warranted by any corresponding difference between the respective claims of those two great cities. The government had been annually expending vast sums upon the fortress of Spike Island, near Cork, whether judiciously or not remained yet to be proved. The object of this work, was avowedly public and general, not local, not to be considered as done for Cork only, or affecting it merely. He begged leave. however, to throw out for the future consideration of ministers, the propriety of applying some portion of those large grants to the opening the communication between that fortress and the city of Cork. This, he was prepared to state, could be effected by a few thou-sand pounds—by a very small portion of the thousands wasted in obsolete Dublin proclamations—and if this communication 518 was opened, it would be not only of great and extensive public utility, but of signal local benefit to the city of Cork—a consideration which, he hoped, would ever have due weight with the minister for Ireland.

Mr. Foster
denied that the 200,000l. was granted to Dublin solely. The Found ling and other Institutions were of general, not local or Dublin interest. Besides, if Cork wanted help, was she not able to help herself—if she wanted aid, she might come to parliament and ask it.

Mr. Hutchinson
replied, that he had not said that the whole sum was devoted to the mere local benefit of Dublin, so far from saying this, he had excepted the charities mentioned by the right hon. gent. He spoke generally. He repeated, that he thought much less money would be more advantageously expended in the instance he had given. He expressed his hope that the right hon. gent would think it worthy of some consideration hereafter, and would also agree to contribute more largely than parliament had yet done to the Cork charities. He knew them to be excellent institutions, and earnestly trusted they would not be let to fall into decay for the want of that timely aid which he was sorry to say they stood much in need of. He hoped that the Irish giants for the future would not in general be so much confined to the capital.