pared to pay a part, in former years; | land, drained at a great expense, would and his experience certainly went to revert to bog; and the same thing would show that, if such works were left to eventually occur with regard to the very the discretion of the tenantry them- drains for which these loans were being selves, they would not be carried out granted. What he particularly wished in a manner calculated to be effective or to know from the noble Lord opposite useful, or that they would benefit any- (the Lord President) was, what class of body concerned. With regard to build- Inspector had been nominated to report ings-which would be by far the easiest to the Board of Works as to the effithing the Inspectors would have to deal ciency of the improvements before the with-he was satisfied that unless the loan was paid over? He was informed, plans for them were carefully laid out on good authority, that a great number by some competent person, they would of tenants were under the impression very often be placed in such a position that a large sum of money was going, as to render them most inconvenient for and that they had only to apply for the purpose for which they were in- some of it to spend-not upon improveIf any of their Lordships went ments, but upon anything they might over an Irish property, where the land- wish. And he had been also informed, lord or agent had not supervised the though he could not believe it, that sites for the building of farm offices, some of the tenants in the county Cork they would find generally that they had had actually stocked their land from been built in the most extraordinarily money obtained from the Board of awkward and inconvenient position, and Works for improvements. He had seen that the other arrangements were un- several letters, written by tenants to suitable. Therefore, he said that, with agents, which showed clearly the ideas regard to the loans for building, it was that were abroad among them as to most necessary that a competent person these loans. He would not give the should draw out the plans, and super- names of the agents for obvious reavise the improvements that were made; sons, but would be happy to tell the that before a single stone was laid it noble Lord opposite, privately, who it should be decided what class of work was that gave the information. There was to be done; and that no money were two letters, in particular, that should be advanced unless the plans showed more distinctly than anything laid down were carried out. The In- else the ideas which were prevalent with spector should see that the specifica- regard to these loans. One tenant wrote tions were carried out to the letter, to his agentand the site, the mortar, the stone to be used, and the arches over the doors and windows should be arranged for before a stone was placed on the foundation, or a shilling of the money advanced. But buildings, as he said before, were the easiest portion of the work. It would be far more difficult to arrange for, and

to see carried out in a manner to be of
permanent utility, the reclamation or
drainage of land. From his experience
of drainage operations, as generally
carried out by Irish tenants, he was
satisfied that, as a rule, it was done in
such a manner as to render it an in-
jury, instead of an advantage to the
land, after a very few years.
And now,
unless the Bill, which he heard had
been lately brought in by the Govern-
ment, had some provision in it to force
the tenants to keep their outfalls and
drains clear-the powers to do which
were taken away from the landlords
by the Land Act-a large part of the

The Marquess of Waterford

"There is some of my land going for nothing without grazing it. Now, Sir, I see that a great many small farmers are getting loans from the Board of Works. If you get me £50 -half of that to buy some stock to eat what is going for nothing, and give me and the family some milk-then to leave the other half of the £50 until next spring, to drain and make new ditches, which would put my little place in tenantable repair."

And the other said

"I am determined to try and get some of the Government money at once, since I have no other alternative to get over some of my difficulties. There are two now pressing me for money, and I have not paid my rates. I would take £100; but if I do not get a good share of it at once, it will be out of my power to hold here any longer, as the whole amount would hardly redeem me, including your rent. When your honour would come here on business, you would do the place of an Inspector, and examine the work that would be done here for it; for, as it is well known, you are a tender-hearted gentleman."

He read these letters with a view of showing what some of the Irish tenantry

believed, from experience gained from | ford), or even his noble Friend himself, among their neighbours, as to the way imagined that it would be in their power the loans could be expended; and he to do what they liked with the money hoped that the noble Lord the Lord obtained from the Government by way President would not only be able to of loan, he was very glad that his noble answer his Question satisfactorily, but Friend should have asked that Question; would also take measures, through the because the sooner such a delusion was Board of Works, to discourage and put removed the better would it be for all an end to those theories with regard to parties. It was the more necessary that the loans which were prevalent among the Question should be answered, bethe tenantry of Ireland, because they cause, as it appeared to him (Lord were most pernicious in their tendency. Carlingford), his noble Friend seemed He trusted the noble Lord would also half inclined to believe it himself. If give the tenants to understand that they the tenants referred to and his noble could not get Government money for Friend thought that the statements in nothing to do anything they liked with. those letters represented, in the slightest Unless those so-called improvements degree, conduct consistent with the should be really permanent, and should requirements of the Board of Works, improve the holdings in a fair ratio as they were entirely mistaken. The Board regarded the money expended, they of Works, under the orders of the Treawould inevitably be most injurious to sury, appeared to take the greatest prethe landlords' interests; because when a caution that these loans should be protenant came into Court and proved be- perly expended. He could not do better fore the Sub-Commissioners that he had than read a letter which he had received expended so much borrowed money from Colonel M'Kerlie, at the head of from the Board of Works, for which he the Board of Works, in regard to the was paying interest, unless that im- system adopted by the Board in this provement could be clearly defined in matter. In it he saidan enhanced value of his holding, the Sub-Commissioners were pretty sure to cut down the rent, at any rate, by the amount of the interest which the tenant was paying; and if there should be no permanent value produced by the money laid out, it would be the landlords, and not the tenants, who would have to pay the interest for the money which the latter had obtained for their sole advantage. He begged to put the Question which stood in his name to the noble Lord opposite (the Lord President).

LORD HARLECH said, he fully agreed with much of what had fallen from his noble Friend (the Marquess of Waterford). Personally, he had reason to believe that, in some cases, not one farthing of the loan was applied to improvements. In his own case, one of his tenants had offered him, if he (Lord Harlech) would join in an application for money for improvements, that he (the tenant) would pay his rent. He need not say he had not agreed to the transaction.

LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL) said, that if any Irish tenants, such as those who had written the letters referred to by his noble Friend (the Marquess of Water

"With regard to the steps taken to insure the satisfactory expenditure of the moneys borrowed, the system is that, after the advance of the first instalment, no further advance is made until it has been ascertained by inspection that the previous one had been expended in a proper manner, and full value given for its amount; and, after the last advance, a final inspection is made on the borrower reporting-as he is required to do by letter that the works have been completed, when, if found in all respects to be satisfactory, a certificate is sent to him of the amount and details of his expenditure. Every precaution is, in fact, taken to see that the loans made are fully and beneficially expended."

He had also before him some of the forms of application required by the Board of Works. One form required the party concerned to notify to the Board the completion of the works, in order that the Inspector might see them. Another forwarded him a certificate to be filled up, testifying that the works had been executed, and that the money had been expended on the improvements. He did not know that greater precautions could be taken. As to the facts and figures required, they were these-He had them down to the 16th of June. At that date, 15,019 loans to tenants had been sanctioned, amounting to £161,000; and, although he was not able to give the exact amount in respect

of the three different subjects mentioned | aware at the moment, that any such in the Question, yet he was informed that cases had arisen; but he would certainly about one-third of that amount had been inquire. sanctioned for farm buildings. There were still under inquiry 1,442 loans, amounting to £185,000. The total number of applications received was 3,397, and the amount applied for was £390,000. He should be happy to supply further Returns to the House, if the noble Marquess wished.

CHANNEL TUNNEL MEMORANDUM
OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF
CAMBRIDGE.

QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.

last seven years; and, therefore, he could speak with impartiality on this subject. If any real necessity existed for the application of these brakes, public opinion would call for them. The public had not demanded them; and he THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, in thought the matter was one which might rising to ask the Secretary of State for safely be left to the Railway Companies Foreign Affairs, Whether he will lay themselves, seeing that it was in the on the Table of the House a copy of obvious interest of the Companies to a Paper prepared in the Intelligence carry their passengers as safely as they Department and mentioned by H.R.H. could. Besides, the large amount of the Duke of Cambridge in a Memoranbusiness done by the Railway Com- dum addressed by him to Mr. Childers, panies with an immunity from accident and printedin the Channel Tunnel Corwhich, of late years especially, had been respondence, page 303? said, that one extraordinary, showed that the Railway of the chief arguments against the Companies were adopting, of their own construction of the Tunnel was that, motion, continuous brakes, or such other in consequence of its construction, this contrivances as they found conducive to country would be exposed to surprises public safety. It must be further borne on the part of enemies. His Royal in mind that it was impossible to devise Highness the Duke of Cambridge had any particular form of brake which addressed a Memorandum to Mr. Chilwould suit the peculiarities of every ders, in which he stated that he was railway, when the different gradients satisfied, from all historical evidence, that existed on them were taken into that the danger of surprise would be consideration. He thought it was a very great indeed; and someone having subject that ought to be left entirely remarked that we need have no fear of to the experts interested in it. He ob- surprise, because hostilities were always jected to grandmotherly legislation such preceded by a declaration of war, His as the noble Earl (Earl De La Warr) Royal Highness combated that arguwas in favour of, and thought that no ment, and said in the document, which he private Member of either House ought (the Earl of Shaftesbury) hoped would to originate legislation dealing with the be laid on the Table of the House, bequestion to which the noble Earl had cause he regarded it as very important, drawn attention. as showing the necessity for taking all possible precautions for insuring the security of the country

LORD SUDELEY: My Lords, it is not possible, during the present Session, for the Government to deal with the continuous brake question; but I may say, at the same time, that the experience gained since the Circular of 1877 was written only confirms the Board of Trade in the necessity for the conditions which were then set forth being adhered to in any system of brakes which may be adopted, and the necessity for uniformity is also made apparent every day. The Board of Trade regret that many of the Railway Companies have not thought it advisable to adopt a brake complying with the conditions suggested in the Circular; but while the number of Companies who have done so is small, still some progress is being made in the matter. If the noble Earl himself were to introduce a Bill for the purpose of making it compulsory upon Companies to adopt a brake complying with those conditions, the Board of Trade would be happy to support such a measure.

Viscount Bury

"That hostilities had frequently commenced during the course of diplomatic correspondence, having been preceded by no declaration of war, and that fortresses had been seized without resistance from the defenders, because they had no reason to expect hostilities."

He (the Earl of Shaftesbury) was the more inclined to ask for the Paper in question, because His Royal Highness stated that the documents upon which his opinions were founded were in no sense confidential, and that no diplomatic difficulty could be caused by their publication. He hoped, therefore, that the noble Earl would comply with the request contained in his Question.

EARL GRANVILLE, in reply, said, the document in question was a War Office and not a Foreign Office Paper; but, in consequence of the Notice of the noble Earl, he had communicated with the War Department on the subject, and had ascertained that there would bẹ