32 



The vote of thanks having been carried unanimously, 

 Mr. Spencer Walpole, in reply, said there were only 

 one or two remarks which it was necessary to comment on. 

 With respect to the question put to him by Mr. Cayley, 

 whether the paragraph with reference to the construction 

 of a market twenty miles from London had been inserted 

 with his sanction, he would only say that he was not aware 

 that anything he had ever said or written conveyed any 

 sanction of the kind ; and if Mr. Cayley asked him whether 

 he should approve of such a position, he should feel utterly 

 incompetent to give any opinion until he saw the exact spot 

 on which it was intended to place the market, and the 

 conveniences of access to it. He was a little at a loss to 

 understand some of Mr. Bloomfield's criticisms, but, as far 

 as he could follow him, they were both working in exactly 

 the same direction. Mr. Bloomfield complained that the 

 railway rates were excessive, in which he agreed with him, 

 but he (Mr. Walpole) suggested that the true way of 

 dealing with excessive rates was to provide adequate com- 

 petition ; and if he might be allowed to translate a line 

 in Horace, he would say, '* If he knows a better way, let 

 him tell it ; but if not, use this method with me." He 

 knew of no better mode than by trying to provide com- 

 petition ; he did not suppose even Mr. Bloomfield would 

 suggest that the State itself should provide steamers to 

 carry the fish from Skibbereen. With respect to the 

 remarks which had fallen from Mr. Burdett-Coutts, and 

 which had been partly seconded by his friend Major 

 Hayes, he would say a few words. He should be very 

 sorry if in anything he had said to-day he was thought 

 to display any want of sympathy with Ireland or Irish 

 fishermen. He ventured to say there was no person in 

 the room, Irish or English, who felt more deeply for the 



