PROGRESS OF THE IRISH RAILWAY JOB.
WILL the persons who have undertaken the defence of the Irish Railway Conimiesioners, and evidently writs from briefs draw out in Dublin, publish the authority under which the Commis• sioners are now proceeding to take preliminary measures for the execution of railways, which most assuredly Parliament has not sanctioned? Has there been another Treasury Minute, autho- rizing additional expenditure by Colonel BURGOVrt , Mr. PIERCE MAtiosiv, and that pure set? It appears certain, at all events, that the Commissioners are still at work ; though, after the com- pletion of their Report, their functions were supposed to have ceased. We beg attention to the following advertisement in the Tipperary Free Press, which we find quoted in the Kilkenny Journal of Wednesday last.
" The Commissioners appointed to inquire into the manner in which Rail. way communication can be most advantageously promoted in Ireland, hiving reported to her Majesty, amongst other things, that a trunk line of railway might be advantageously constructed between Dublin and Cork, running through Thurles, Holy Cross, Cashel, and Caber—and Me Report and Plans of the Commissioners having been sent down to Thurles, for the purpose of being seen and considered by all parties who might be interested in the execu- tion of the said line--a general meeting of landholders and others will be held at Mrs. Ryan's Hotel, Cashel, on Tuesday the 24 day of October next ; when a gentleman duly authorized for the purpose will attend, to give every requi- site explanation of Me said report and plans of the Commissioners."
" Duly authorized "—of course by the Commissioners. And who authorized the Commissioners to send " gentlemen " about the country for this purpose? Has there been another alteration in the Royal Commission, enlarging and continuing the powers at first granted, since that pointed out in the Spectator a fortnight ago? And this leads to the remark, that no explanation or defence of that suspicious and most irregular transaction has yet appeared. A person is actually employed to go from one newspaper office to another with articles in praise of the Railway Commissioners; and yet not a word, as far as we can discover, has been offered in defence of the sly alteration of the Royal Commission to answer the foregone conclusion and jobbing purposes of the gentlemen in Dublin, whom Mr. SPRING RICE, of Mount Trenchard, near Limerick, delights to honour. Apparently, the object now is to get up something like a show of popular support in aid of an application to Parliament next session for funds to commence the Commissioners' lines. We prophesy the defeat of that application ; but, patronized as the Board is, there may be sufficient reason to expect that money will be obtained to discharge the solicitors', surveyors', and other bills, which in the mean while will be " run up" by " gentlemen," though not duly authorized, richly paid. It is really necessary to watch the progress of this affair. It is not a trifling sum of the public money—some three or four millions—which is de- manded; and the mode in which the funds, if obtained, would probably be expended, though very agreeable to proprietors having deeply-mortgaged land on the lines, and the solicitors and engi- neers employed, would by no means tend to diminish corrupt influence or jobbing in Ireland.
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