§ Clause 10 (Provision shall be made by Order in Council for the working of line).
§ MR. LALORsaid, he had placed various Amendments upon the Paper which were preparatory to the insertion of the following Sub-section:—
Should the Company fail to complete the undertaking within the stipulated time, having expended the estimated and guaranteed amount, and should the guaranteeing baronies he called on, in consequence, to contribute money in order to complete the Tramway, the amount so contributed by the guaranteeing baronies shall be deducted from the amount already expended by the Company, and on the balance alone shall the guaranteeing baronies be obliged to pay the guaranteed dividend; should the Company having completed the necessary arrangements in conformity with the requirements of this Act, and having commenced the execution of the works in connection with a Tramway, fail to continue or complete the execution of such works within the prescribed time, and before the estimated amount necessary for the purpose has been expended. In that case the Company shall forfeit to the guaranteeing baronies any portion of the work that may have been executed without receiving any remuneration whatever, and shall not be entitled to receive any portion of the guaranteed dividend on the amount so expended.The sub-section was directed against bogus Companies who might try to force themselves upon the ratepayers for their own pecuniary interests without taking into account the interest of the ratepayers themselves,
§ Amendment proposed, in page 6, line 18, after "completed," insert "by the Co."—(Mr. Lalor.)
§ Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. PORTER)said, he thought he fully understood the object the hon. Gentleman had in view in submitting this Amendment. The proposal was to require the baronies themselves to contribute a portion of the expense of the construction of the tramway. That would, of course, be a better guarantee for the carrying out of the work; but he thought the proposal of the hon. Member went a great deal further than that. If the hon. Member would allow the matter to stand over until the Report stage of the Bill, he (the Attorney General for Ireland) would see if he could not do something to meet the hon. Member's views.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Clause agreed to, and ordered to stand part of the Bill.