The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-03 00:00:00

POOR LAWS.

Mr. ROEBUCK said as motion for a committee with a
view to extending the operation of the Act 6 and 6 Vic. c. 36,
to Ireland, was a necemary preliminary to the acceptance of
the propositions of the noble lord, he ooniidered he had a
claim to an early day for bringing the subject forward.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Chancellor of the Ex.
chequer would at an early day bring forward the whole gum-
Lion as connected with the fluent's of the country, and tba
hon. and learned gentleman would then have an opportunity
of bringing forward his motion.

Mr. GRATTAN Uiiiliat;;theltol. and (tuned gentle-
man's motion was preliminary to the proposition of the noble
lord, his (Mr. Grattan's) being a corollary to that of the hon.
and learned gentleman (laughter) he hoped there would he
no objection to granting the return of absentees which he
moved for. There could be no difficulty in obtaining It.
Mr. LABOUCHERR mid if the hon. gentleman gave
him notice he would state the difficulty he felt on the RI Neel.
Mr. GRATTAN said there need be no difficulty, as he
had the list himself, and would furnish it to the right hon.
gentleman. (Laughter.) However, he would postpone the
subject till neat Tuesday.
The other motions on the papers were likewite severally
postponed to enable the house to proceed with the adjournedi
debate.

LABOURING POOR (IRELAND) BILL—
ADJOURNED DEBATE.
thA..H.ptechihlLdTeloi,Neredbepnwt
!why
hetapbre,aringthe
Chancellor
cacautt-
facMtiorn. Gat.
of the Exchequer, and the sympathy which he expressed in
the latter part of it for the people of Inland—not that he
supposed the right bon. gentleman was wanting in those
' feelings of humanity which exhibited themselves in so noble
a manner from every village of this country, but because it
was impossible for any one who bad not an opportunity of
judging for himself on the spot to realise the extent of misery
which prevailed in Ireland. Even in the neighbourhood of
Dublin where everything was done that could be done to
mitigate or avert the dreadful calamity, it was melancholy
to observe its effects upon the small farmers and labourers,
and if the evil was so dreadful near Dublin how indescribable
must be the condition of the people in remote districts, The
right bon. gentleman attributed a degree of supineness to
the gentry of Ireland because the did not avid themselves
i of the act. of last session by which, they could obtain money
for the improvement of their estates. But the fact was that
one of those acts required the application to be mad*
through the Lord Chancellor, which was attended with Se
much expense and delay as to render it inoperative . and with
regard to the other, namely the Drainage Act, that was also
rendered inoperative in consequence of the definition of the
word " owners" which excluded all tenants for life from its
benefits. He did not think the relief committee. deserved
all the Warne that was east upon them because the extent of
the calamity renamed it difficult to ascertain who wen
nay proper objects of relief. He tioeght thalami-Inte-
✓n% and the right bee. gentleman (Mr. Laborsolisre) 41,-
served great praise foe sanctioning productive than
unproductive works. Tim Board of Works alsoamed
their onerous duties in the Else client manner sad it sip-
pnred from the eorreepandeine as the table that the ma-
mimsriat departmennewbia sew Nom bed beam
&played great sa and esdAW__lsa *sir ear,
' beer.) But he 11 srol the MAW*. of were
yen before them, eat be alrealei be.. gentleman to view
ilarst without vehement* the pelt and apart Item all poli-
tical and party prepeasnalons. lit this spirit he less anxious
to view the qesetiona, and would now War* soma
facts which simmered to him to be essential to a
proper consideration of it. He would lint take the
ma. of the smespiets, sad he was sorry to say
that the picture which the hon. and learned member oppo-
die (Mr. Roebuck) drew of them, was not overcharged. It
from the evidence before the land commission of
assured
that the number of farms in Ireland above one acre
was 685,000 ; that the somber under fifteen acres was
560000, or 80 per rent. of the whole ; and that the number
under SO acres was 40 per cent. of the whole. That would
give some ides of the state of things in Ireland. But pen
e
hiwwiaEuleucjyndadodkibe:mdfleaneoeeddruroneimtlleiusn;nreuhtstlC:hhanuorwieesteltil:i:diunn:aLdfool'iwfrthittlealeassuselseieme;ll:ustiestithone4etimmofff imic!dih:Plinclassumm: _
..
&tap gns,"llifik
more than one roompei. • with mud walls and
fioces; the second a As comprised farm-houses ; and the flea
the houses o' the e Ate, Now, in the whole id Ireland then
were only 180001;ouses of the first clam, whilst of the second
and third Ciallek there were 1,075,000. (Hear, hear.)
That was to my live out of every six of the
hoes,. in I% tad had mud walls sad floors, &ad
ost.tfnteilf#tbior
sankidbi..efourtnh elbri.z.
the present
bear.) lealimiWits4
bewalitlga2iPm7 usa(leie."BPomngllP°:,rtirooilewasthlnere"Mwaeverer%6wth3r4o7l
on a locality thus circumstanced ? The population of both
°hcainwlloallebat;orPeon -0, and how dreadful must have been its effects
division., 0,,.. West Carbery, in which Skiloberesa was situ-
ate?,„'" ° (,900. There were 14,700 hawse of the third
said,. '•Wri classes, and only 146 of the first. The evidenes
0,... M'4, .el Sullivan, who was examined before the Land
‘-''''notission, went to show that the food of the people was
Potauires without milk, and their furniture of the • men
`"ettitted description. (Hear, bear.) Then, with regard ts
the mode in which the land was divided, there . lease
1*(1,000 acres held under the joint-tenancy system, sad
1e.00,000 under the Colll.2lllsydrm—that was to say, where
.le tenant paid for his land, not in mosey, but in labour.
It might be asked, why did the landlords allow such • stets
of things to grow up ? But them who were acquainted
with Ireland must know the extreme difficulty of sawn'
'Ewen of this kind in that country. This raised the goalies
rr
...:i.m.hsatz;..bthtui
the best landlords, but there were • great number et
ofpro paberaretetwiwnhO heldlio largrestileystaadteaminittedlrelatilt were shames
seen in no small degree in reference to Winn
abewarteet(Hew.h!hheueld)smaThlleer
aketsestates °raw= this mold nott
bobs
tilirs,ll
which Ireland now suffered. (Hear, pp II ••• . greet,.
mil connected with this subject was I tit* i Ile fil 0., a a fa' '4 ..
~ 1
Mg absentee agents, who resided in - wed d
9^- I—Th ...a.- '
• . do, .1 7,
i..„. ),. .;• .1
. • ,10, i :41
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