§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is in a position to make any further statement as to the construction of the direct line of railway from Cork to Fermoy.
§ MR. HANBURYI received yesterday a letter from the Secretary to the Fish-guard and Rosslare Railway Company stating, "So far as they [the directors] can see at the present time it will probably be about a twelvemonth before they wall be in a position to commence the section of their undertaking from Fermoy to 450 Cork, and I am authorised on their behalf to say that that portion of their line shall be commenced within a twelvemonth from this date." I have inquired what is meant by "commencing," and said that presumably, if this assurance is to be of any practical value, it must mean at least that the whole of the necessary land will have been taken, a contract for the construction of the line been signed, and a bonâ fide start made with the works themselves.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANDoes the correspondence show if any portion of this line has yet been surveyed?
§ MR HANBURYNo.
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENSeeing that the Amalgamation Bill has passed through the House, I suppose the directors will choose their own time for making the railway.