CLASS I. (Hansard, 20 June 1894)

*THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIEBERT,) Oldham

proposed that a sum of £2,500 be granted in aid of the expenses in connection with the accident on the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway. He said it would be in the recollection of the Committee that last year a sad accident occurred on this railway at Whitsuntide by which there was caused not only serious loss of life, but also serious damage to live stock and goods and to the rolling stock of the railway. In consequence of that accident the Grand Jury of Kerry had to present at the Spring Assizes for a sum of £4,223 in respect of those damages, and it was expected that a further sum of £950 would require to be provided at the Summer Assizes, thus bringing the total to something over £5,000 which this 1547 unfortunate railway would have to meet. He thought when he had stated to the Committee the condition of some of the districts which were affected by this railway and by the accident, they would support the Vote which was proposed. There were three baronies affected by the accident, Clanmaurice, Corkaguiny, and Trughenackmy, as well as the Tralee Urban Sanitary District. In one of these, Corkaguiny, it was estimated that if the full charge for the accident were levied, the rating for the whole year would reach a figure of over 12s. in the f 1. Hon. Members, therefore, would see that there was a case of serious hardship upon a very poor district. When his hon. Friend the Member for West Kerry first mentioned this matter to him he (Sir T. Esmonde) proposed that the Government should lend a sum of £5,000 for the purpose of meeting the expenses. He (Sir J. T. Hibbert) naturally felt great sympathy with the object which it was desired to achieve, but it was found that the Government had no power to lend money for this purpose, and on considering all the facts of the case he suggested to the hon. Member that instead of lending the money the Government should give half the amount for which the district was liable. Although this proceeding might be thought to create a bad precedent, he did not think it was likely that any railway would run into the risk of accident for the purpose of obtaining a compassionate grant in aid, and he thought, therefore, that they might safely make the grant.