§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(Mr. Jackson.)
§ DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid)said, he must protest against large sums of money drawn from the taxpayers of the country being placed at the disposal of the Irish Board of Works to be expended on such bad specimens of work as the Ballycotton and Rosscarbery Piers.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)said, that the Ballycotton and Rosscarbery Piers were not constructed by money taken under this Bill. The £1,000,000 which was to be advanced to the Irish Board of Works was to enable them to lend to Local Bodies from time to time; but that could not be done without the distinct sanction of the Treasury. Money would be advanced for useful purposes, 50 as in the case of Limerick, to which £25,000 was to be lent to improve its waterworks.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)thought that lending money to Ireland was throwing good money after bad. While it was proposed to give Great Britain only £2,000,000, Ireland was to get £1,000,000, Scotland's share being a beggarly £30,000. Every one of the advances proposed to be written off were Irish advances. He did not think, after what we had lately seen, that we should be very sure of being able to recover our money from the Limerick Corporation.
§ Question put, and agreed to.