§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ THE EARL OF DENBIGHMy Lords, I do not think there will be any opposition in your Lordships' House to this Bill, and therefore it is hardly necessary for me to say very much about it, in moving that it be read a second time, except to inform your Lordships that it is for the purpose of making a railway from Letterkenny, in the north of Ireland, more or less along the north coast of Donegal, and ending at Burtonport, on the extreme west of Donegal county. It goes through some of the worst parts of the congested districts of Ireland. The area benefited will be 269,000 acres, with a population of 42,700. There was a certain amount of opposition raised to this Bill at the local inquiry, opposition which mainly came from the Donegal Railway Company, who serve the southern part of the county. But, my Lords, I think that the opposition fell to pieces entirely before the various inquiries which were conducted in Ireland. The local inquiry which was held by the Board of Works resulted in a report which was entirely satisfactory to the scheme. The Grand Jury of Donegal have given it their adhesion, and it was unanimously passed by the Privy Council. I therefore move the Second Reading of the Bill.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed to a Committee of the whole House.