§ MR. GINNELLI bog to ask the President of the Board of Trade what communications, if any, were addressed by the Board of Trade to the Midland Great Western Railway Company, pursuant to the Reports of the Board's inspectors on the condition of the Royal Canal; and will he explain why the Board of Trade held inquiries, in view of the expense to those who obtained them and to the State, if the Board are unable to give effect to the recommendations of their own inspectors, and to protect this public waterway from destruction.
§ MR. KEARLEYGeneral Hutchinson was appointed to inspect the canal in 1894, on a memorial received through five Members of Parliament, from fifty-five traders, asking for an inspection of the canal under Section 41 of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888. Further complaints were received of the condition of the canal in the following year, and Sir Francis Marindin was appointed to make an inspection under the same section. The Reports of both General Hutchinson and of Sir Francis Marindin were for warded to the Midland Great Western Railway Company, and further correspondence passed between the Board of Trade and the Company, who, in November, 1895, gave an assurance that no effort would be wanting on their part to ensure the carrying out of the various recommendations contained in Sir Francis Marindin's Report so as to maintain the Royal Canal in a satisfactory condition. Since the two Board of Trade inspections referred to, other inspections have been made on behalf of the Board of Control, a public body appointed by the Lord-Lieutenant under an Act of 1818, and composed of members of the Irish Board of Works. The functions and powers of the Board of Control as regards the canal have recently been fully explained to the Royal Commission on Canals, now sitting, and I shall be happy to furnish the hon. Member with a copy of the evidence bearing on the point. As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member on the 10th instant,† the Board of Control inform me that they are now considering the Question of further proceedings.
§ MR. GINNELLI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, having
†See (4) Debates, clv., 1165.38 regard to the facts that the Royal Canal was constructed as a waterway for public use, largely with moneys voted by the Irish Parliament, was subsequently acquired and is now controlled by the Midland Great Western Railway Company, subject to the statutory obligation of maintaining the canal in a navigable condition for public use, that the railway company in their own interest have allowed the canal to become unnavigable, and that all these facts have been ascertained and reported by inspectors of the Board of Trade, whether the Board of Trade will, on behalf of the public, enforce the statutory obligation by compelling the railway company to execute the works of restoration and maintenance which that company's neglect has rendered necessary.
§ MR. KEARLEYThis is a repetition of the Question which I answered on the 10th instant,‡ and I can only refer the hon. Member to that Answer.