THIRD READING. (Hansard, 8 August 1890)

§ THE EARL OF HOWTH

Before asking your Lordships' permission to withdraw my opposition to this Bill, for the rejection of which I have a Motion on the Paper, I desire to make one or two observations. In the first place, I would state that it is owing to statistics which only reached me this morning with reference to the City of Dublin that I am enabled to do so. As far as the Bill itself is concerned, its main proposals secure my perfect sympathy, inasmuch as they refer to the dwellings of the poor, and also because they relate to taking sanitary precautions in the City of Dublin. I am connected with Dublin by residence, and in regard to property there, both in one of the townships and around the City. My objection to the Bill was that it is not, in scope, large enough to meet the difficulties with which the City has to contend in these matters. To keep Dublin free from enteric fever is, indeed, a very difficult and important task, and in proof of that we have only to look at the steps which the Corporation of Dublin have found it necessary to take in order to carry out the sanitation of the City. In the first instance, we perceive that the sum of 3s. 6d. in the £1 represents what are termed City improvements. That, in itself, is quite one-third of the taxation—at least, such was the case on the 1st January, 1890. And, again, we learn from Sir Henry Martin, the Sanitary Inspector, in the year 1888, that larger sums had been expended in Dublin, for sanitary purposes than in all the rest of Ireland put together. 218 Even if we look to the Act of Parliament itself, there are very extensive measures provided for which are not required, I think, in any other City in the United Kingdom, and prominently one in reference to searching houses to see if there are any gas escapes in them. In all the active measures and precautions taken by the Authorities I am sure they meet with my humble and hearty sympathy. There is one subject which I bring forward with some diffidence, and it is one which is certainly of considerable importance to Dublin and its neighbourhood. I, myself, am interested in a certain amount of house property in and about Dublin; and although I am fully and decidedly opposed to any proposal in reference to the powers of the Corporation of Dublin to extend their authority further than their present City limits, yet at the same time I cannot help feeling that with the approval of Parliament, upon inquiry by a Parliamentary Committee, and looking at the impoverished condition of Dublin, and at the thriving state of the surrounding neighbourhood, it would not only be just, but would be in their own interests, to contribute to the taxation of Dublin whenever an occasion may occur, but that that taxation should strictly be confined to what may be termed the sanitary condition and improvement of the City. If a Parliamentary Committee at any future period should deem it necessary to extend that taxation, I can only say for myself, and on behalf of those with whom I am interested, I should not desire to bring forward any opposition against it, because I think it would be a just proposal. I will not now go further into the details of the Bill, but simply ask your Lordships' permission to withdraw my opposition to it.