MR. O'CONNOR POWERdesired to put a question to the Chief Secretary for Ireland or the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to a statement made by the Chief Secretary in the course of the debate on Tuesday evening—namely, Whether, when the Irish famine debt, amounting to a sum of £260,000 annually in the shape of Consolidated Annuities, and which in one sum the right hon. Gentleman the 1172 Chief Secretary estimated to amount to £10,000,000 sterling, was written off, new taxes were not imposed upon Ireland which had inflicted upon her financial loss greater than the remission to which the right hon. Gentleman referred; and, whether, in the year 1853, the late Mr. Maguire, the Member for the City of Cork, did not, on that occasion, in the name of the Irish Members, protest against the bargain that had been made?
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, the Question obviously required Notice. He rose only to say, therefore, that the hon. Member had misconceived him. He mentioned the sum as a debt, and a very important one, that had been remitted to Ireland; but the £10,000,000 he referred to included that debt, which was composed of a considerable number of other items.
MR. O'CONNOR POWERasked, Whether the right hon Gentleman would state at what period that indebtedness was contracted; within what space of time did he allege that the £10,000,000 was incurred; and was the right hon. Gentleman prepared to contest the proposition he had just made with reference to the increase of taxation which was imposed upon Ireland, and was partly consequential upon the remission of that annual sum?
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, he would answer the Question of the hon. and learned Member on Monday. There were a considerable number of important issues raised in it. No doubt, the hon. Member would recognize the object for which he (Mr. Trevelyan) rose at that moment.