Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

——when Asquith was endeavouring to improve the lot of the people. Earlier, there was the whole period of killing Home Rule by kindness, with the Irish being bombarded with wonderful legislation on harbours, etc., when they were to become compliant and very demure, not harbouring seditious thoughts against the British Government. They were expected to be so pleased over what was being done for them, but of course they were not and did not lie down.

The Post Office (Sites) Act 1885 was about getting sites for post offices all over the country, many of which are still there, I am quite sure. Then there was the Wicklow Harbour Advances Act 1897. Many harbour laws were introduced in that period for the betterment or the building of new harbours and piers. This was also part of the killing Home Rule by kindness strategy as were various Acts brought in at the time.

There were two interesting Acts passed in 1909, the Labour Exchanges Act and the Irish Handloom Weavers Act. Then there was the Local Authorities (Ireland) (Qualification of Women) Act 1911. I do not know whether that was about the vote for women or women going forward for election. It may have had to do with the poor law guardians legislation. There are so many Acts which trace the progress of history and that is really interesting.

The Charitable Pawn Offices (Ireland) Act 1842 would have been passed in Daniel O'Connell's time. I wonder what he said about it. One would love to follow all of that up to see what the various pieces of legislation provided for. There was the Mining Leases (Ireland) Act 1848, the Bridges (Ireland) Act 1850 and the Betting Act 1853. Then there was an Act about the adulteration of tea and later one about the adulteration of coffee. I do not know whether one is meant to feel guilty about drinking those beverages. The Adulteration of Coffee Act 1718 set out that even "disposed persons have, after the roasting of coffee, made use of water, grease, butter, whereby the coffee is rendered unwholesome and greatly increased in weight to the prejudice of the health of subjects". A considerable penalty of £20 applied. I am very interested in that because this would have been an enormous fine in that period. I do not know what the present-day equivalent is, but it is a great amount of money — for adding substances to coffee or tea. It does not specify that whiskey could not be added or a drop of brandy, which might greatly improve the coffee or the tea.

There is an honesty Act——