THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IRELAND.
consequence, I have been frequently obliged to change the gang, that each man might have his turn of employment.
The adoption of the above system, which has never been broken through, has prevented outlaws and strangers of bad character from gaining admission into the work, and poisoning the minds of the people ; who, though unaccustomed to regu-lar exertion, prefer employment when accompanied with the prospect of a reasonable remuneration, to unproductive idleness.
In commencing public works amongst a people of wild and turbulent habits, and in a country where there was no resident magistrate or gentleman * within i o or 15 miles of the place of my operations, great caution and firmness, united to good temper, were requisite.
The people could not calculate their earnings, and, having no confidence jn our justice, frequently threw up their work at the end of a week or fortnight.
By degrees, however, we began to understand each other better; and the labourers finding that when they worked fairly, they earned good wages, and being regularly paid, became more docile and industrious : and in those places where the employment has been continued for several months together, the workmen became so expert as nearly to double their former earnings.
On the whole, I must say, that when treated with steadiness and justice, no people are more easily managed than these mountaineers.
They are naturally a fine people ; but they have been frequently oppressed by their immediate landlords -f\ They are grossly igno-rant and strongly prejudiced : if educated and employed, they would soon become good and peaceable subjects.
The partial employment afforded by the works carried on under my direction, has had a most decidedly beneficial effect on the tranquillity of the surrounding country, which had previously been the most disturbed in the south of Ireland; and I am happy in being enabled to state, that from the month of September 1822, when the works commenced, till the present moment, there has been but one instance of outrage in this part of the country, and that arose out of a private quarrel among persons of the lowest description.
I entertain some expectations that the method of draining, forming, fencing and stoning the new roads, introduced by me, will cause a considerable improvement in the system of road-making throughout my district.
Gentlemen of the first respec-tability and influence in the country frequently visit the works ; when there, the most perfect unreserve is shown them by myself and assistants ; and the prices paid for every kind of work, and the reasons for adopting particular forms of road, slopes of banks, batter of retaining walls, deep foundations for bridges^, &c.
are freely communicated to them.
The necessity of appointing a resporcw'Me person to report on the propriety of all presentment works of a certain class, to estimate the expense, specify the par-ticular manner in which the work is to be executed, and the materials which are to be used, and afterwards to report on the execution of the work, and be answerable for his report, is now admitted on all hands.
At present, important works, par-ticularly bridges, are frequently refused by Grand Juries, from a feeling that they will be imperfectly executed ; and in proportion to the knowledge on these subjects, which conscientious men have acquired, the more adverse they become to granting presentments to ignorant people.
Of the proposed Roads through the Mountainous District, to the south of the
River Blackwater, which have not yet received His Excellency's approbation.
In my Report of last year, I mentioned the whole of the roads and other works which I then thought it would be advisable to execute under the Act of 1 Geo.
IV.
* This observation is peculiarly applicable to the line of country between the rivers Shannon and Blackwater.
t In many cases there are six intermediate persons between the proprietor of the soil and the occu-pying tenant; each of whom derives a profit out of the lands.
J In the southern counties of Ireland, retaining walls for roads were never battered or sloped on the outside, and rarely commenced of sufficient thickness at the foundation to admit of their being gradually lessened from the interior by off-sets towards the top ; hence, they are constantly yielding outwards, being unable to support the pressure of the embankment.
In building bridges, deep foun-dations were never thought of, as the mason working under Grand Jury presentments considered only the superstructure which meets the eye, and had no objection to his bridge being carried away the next flood, as such catastrophes, which are frequent, create more work.
Even in mountain countries, bridges are usually founded on rounded stones, which form the bed of the stream, above which an imperfect pavement is placed, which is intended to serve as an artificial foundation; this soon gives way, and, of course the bridge, which may be said to be built on castors, follows it.
352.
B
