§ THE EARL OF REDESDALEsaid, as he saw the noble Viscount (Viscount Lifford) who had recently brought forward the question of narrow-gauge railways in Ireland in his place, he would like to ask him a Question as to a Notice of Motion which he had put on the Paper with regard to the re-committal of the Letterkenny Railway Bill. This Notice originally stood for last Friday, but the noble Viscount had since placed it on the 1356 Paper without any date being fixed. In his (the Earl of Redesdale's) view the Motion ought to be heard at once, and there was no reason why it should be hung up in the way it was, indefinitely, without his knowing anything more about it than that the noble Viscount proposed to
Call attention to the Report from the Committee on the Letterkenny Railway Bill on the 27th day of March, and to move that the Bill he re-committed in order to consider the expediency of empowering the Letterkenny Railway Company to construct their railway upon the gauge of three feet, provided that the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company concur in altering or adopting their railway for use upon the same gauge.If it were proper to propose the re-commitment of the Bill, the noble Viscount should either move it directly or withdraw the Motion?
VISCOUNT LIFFORDsaid, the noble Earl had placed him in one of the most unpleasant positions he had ever occupied. He assured the House that he had only brought forward the Notice of Motion he had given under a strong sense of duty. He must add, that he believed the noble Earl had come to the decision he had arrived at with regard to the Bill on insufficient evidence; and he felt certain that if the noble Earl would go a little deeper into the matter, and consider it once again, he would relieve him from the painful position in which he had been placed. He would, however, give Notice to-morrow as to the day on which he would bring forward his Motion.