§ Moved, That the Order of the 3rd of May last be dispensed with in respect of the said Bill, on the Ground of the Delay occasioned by lengthened Negotiations with a Creditor and Necessity of obtaining the Consent to the Measure of a Committee of the Grand Jury of the County of Galway.—(The Earl of Devon.)
§ LORD REDESDALEsaid, he was reluctant to consent to the suspension of the Order. The Bill was a most extraordinary one, and the circumstances under which it was introduced were equally extraordinary. However, if it was desirable that the Bill should go on, he had no wish to raise any impediment on the ground of the delay that had taken place in the introduction of the Bill.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ THE EARL OF DEVONthen moved the second reading of the Bill, the object of which was to authorize the Commissioners of the Treasury to accept from the Galway Harbour Commissioners the sum of £10,000 965 as composition for a debt now due from the harbour of £21,000—the debt so compounded to be paid off in fifty years, by an annual payment or rent-charge of 4.0729 per cent. The Bill further authorized the Public Works Commissioners to lend to the Galway Harbour Commissioners the sum of £17,000 for the purpose of improving the harbour and constructing a graving dock which was much wanted. This debt was a first charge on the harbour rates and would have priority over the compounded debt due to the Treasury. There was further a judgment debt of £3,500 due to private individuals. The Bill directed that this debt should be converted into a terminable annuity, which was to be a subsequent charge to the two first-mentioned debts, and in the event of the harbour dues being insufficient to meet the payments, the deficiency was to be paid from the rateable property of the town of Galway.
§ LORD TAUNTONwas understood to suggest that the Bill after it had been read the second time should be referred to a Select Committee.
§ THE EARL OF DEVONhad no objection to the course, and suggested that Lord Taunton should be Chairman of the Committee.
§ LORD REDESDALEsaid, that as there was no one to oppose the Bill he did not see how it could be considered by a Select Committee. The question involved was one which could be decided in Committee of the Whole House as well as in a Select Committee. There was at present a debt due to the Government of £20,000, in addition to the debt of £5,000 due to Mr. Mullins, and these debts were to be compounded for. The harbour was unable to bear the charge upon its present debt. Yet it was now proposed that the Government should payoff the debt of Mr. Mullins, and advance £17,000 for the improvement of the harbour. That would make £22,000, and with the £10,000 that remained, £32,000, chargeable upon a port which could not meet the charges on a debt of £25,000. This appeared to be a very Irish arrangement altogether, and a measure of finance of which he did not quite understand.
THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEsaid, it must be remembered that the absence of a graving dock, the construction of which was one of the contemplated improvements, was the very reason why the harbour was less frequented than it 966 otherwise would be, and why it could not meet the charges upon its debt. At present all vessels had to be sent to Limerick or Liverpool for repairs.
§ Motion agreed to: Bill read 2a, and committed for To-Morrow.