THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDE, rose to present a petition from the Guardians of the North Poor Law Union of Dublin against the Metropolitan Railway Bill; and to ask whether the Irish Government or the Board of Trade has expressed any opinion upon the merits of that Bill? The noble Marquess said, that the petitioners represented that the project in question, if carried into effect, would do infinite mischief to Dublin. The Bill proposed to carry a railway by means of bridges over no less than fifty thoroughfares, thus cutting the city right through from west to east, destroying its beauty, interrupting the general traffic, and injuring the trade of the shopkeepers. The question was, whether a much better plan might not be adopted. Their Lordships were unanimous last night in thinking that the metropolitan railways ought not to be left to be decided upon singly by Select Committees, but that a Commission ought to be appointed to consider the subject as a whole. He trusted that Dublin would have the benefit of the same science and experience; and he had therefore, to ask whether the Government or the Board of Trade had expressed any opinion on the merits of the Dublin Metropolitan Bill?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, the Lord-Lieutenant had communicated with the Board of Trade, and by the time the Bill Came before their Lordships he hoped that their Report would be laid on the table.
THE EARL OF LEITRIMsaid, that the Dublin Metropolitan Railway Bill was a most wanton encroachment on the citizens of Dublin. It would materially injure the harbour, and would be a perfect nuisance to the citizens. He doubted very much whether, if their Lordships sanctioned the Bill, the railway would be made, and still more whether, if made, it would pay. He believed that it would be very easy to form a junction between the existing railways without interfering with the city of Dublin.