§ COLONEL FRENCHasked the Secretary to the Treasury, When he will be prepared to state what steps Government mean to take in consequence of Mr. Bateman's Report of the River Shannon?
MR. PEELsaid, the Question was one of considerable importance, the object being to determine whether the Government would execute at the public cost works in the Shannon which would prevent the river from overflowing. It was contended that it was the duty of the Government to execute those works in consequence of the works executed for improving the navigation some twenty years ago not having succeeded in preventing the flooding of the river. Although the Shannon Commissioners had made a series of Reports between the years 1840 and 1848, and they had Mr. Bateman's report showing at what cost the works could be executed, the Government were still without information on this important point—what would be the improvement to the land of private owners, supposing that the overflowing were prevented. He (Mr. Peel) hoped in the course of a fortnight to be able to state what course the Treasury would take on this subject.