The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-08 00:00:00

tint nemenee wwheabeedly geedwited,_inn awn • gee
adp•dist y
in byga WWI irefwal. pi ogle 4( t.
awaramy were peembleed the nrembee of par bio
come emer bert to eta esepleywrat, mad be owdmodeml
the last of do Id& pas-law Toon be to
that swiped' ell>h farther. The *ft Ma. Weed bpi
th• espial hetet' of 1834. The meths ea the salesot of
meek which had been made at that time was relosepl by
ma inerwhelming majority, it was true ; but, at Neeeme
time, • solemn pledge, to which the king lords. sad WM-
mons of England assented, was made in dee edema* the
crown, that both houses would apply thamenhelelle milmen
all just causes of complaint, and to remedy the jLeaewei
Ireland. There they were now in the 13th year diet that
pledge had been maele—and had it been fulfilled ? Sol It
not rather been violated ? The landlord and tenant studies
was yet unsettled; and there was no attempt to remedy the
grievances of a defective municipal reform act, and a dun's-
Med elective franchise. A thousand other grievances
edreme He believed that • repeal of the enters
re-
would alone offer the proper remedy. It would put a stem
to that great source of evil in Ireland—the absentee drain.
It would afford an inducement to the gentry of Ireland to re-
main at home. It would keep the poor of Ireland at home.
It would increase the prosperity and wealth of the country,
and, therefore, would offer a better market for the manufac-
tures of England. Thus, both countriee had an interest in
the question. He believed that it would be a means of mu-
Mal support—of mutual enrichment; that it would confer
order and prosperity at home, and give irresistible strength
and power &bend. (Hear.)
Mr. TRELAWNY, who was but indistinctly heard, mid
that the hon. gentleman who had just sat down told them
that there was a great deal owing from this country to Ire-
land. He believed that was the case, and that the income
tax and the assessed taxes ought to be extended to that
country. He hoped the house would not be induced by the
constant howl of the Irieh members to delay passing the
measure which had been proposed by her Majesty'. govern-
ment for the purpose of checking crime ill Ireland. lie
thought that if the repeal of the union were granted it
would produce a civil war between the protestant* of the
north and the Roman catholic*, and that this would lead to
a military despotism The hon. gentleman would propose a
tax on the abeenten. That class of persona would then be
placed in this position, that if they lived in Ireland they
would be abet at, and if they remaieed among us they would
he taxed. The hon. gentleman asked the people of Eng-
land to contribute more money for the relief of the people of
Ireland ; but he did not think John Bull would convent to
char, seeing that the bon. member had &mellowed the debt
which had been already incurred. He damn see but Ire. I
land was to be improved, except by in
tor the purpose of cultivation end econtotrigrl=ria
hie coo tel not be done white the land was so much subdivided
ends pauper population suffered to look to the potato esthete
ode means of nippers. He highly approved of the esereila
bill, end sincerely regretted that he opposed the coerekm
hfa
of 1846. It was a mockery of and satire on.legialation
allow things to proceed as they did in Ireland. (Hew,
hear.) He was surprised that boo. gentlemen should inter-
pose delays to the passing of a measure which they must be
aware was absolutely necessary. if those members were
likely to be auccessful in delaying the measure, the govern-
ment might to act without the bill, and then all for a bill of
indemnity. He hoped that the government would enforce'
the poor law measure, and see that every farthing of the
Mae was paid. Unless they showed vigour and decision,
the murders which were taking place in Ireland would not
ewe.
Kr. O'FLAHERTY said, the hon. gentleman who had
just eat down was evidently totally unacquainted with the
state of Ireland, rad the subject under discussion. No mem-
' es- was more *mem than be (Mr. O'Elaherty) to put a
stop to those atrocious crimes which disgraced Ireland ; but
he believed the ordinary law, if carried out with vigour and
impartiality, would prove quite sufficient for the ruppression
of those outrages. He was aware of some instances in which
the law had not been so administered. The hon. gentleman
eluded to the Irish poor law. He was an active adminis-
trator of that law ; but, under present eircumitances, he be-
lieved it was nothing less then a confiscation of property
without any couatenailing advantage*. I* might eventually
he prohective of good ; but, ciriumstanoed as Ireland was
just now, it was a most pr:Tortereue remedy.
Mr. REYNOLDS thought that the restoration of the
rights of self-legislation to the Irish people would improve
their condition, b dl socially and morally; and, believing
that, he could not but regret that the hon. member fns Not-
tingham introduced the eubject at so inappropriate a period.
He should, however, support the motion for a committee of
inquiry, because, on so important a eubject, he thought that
was the reasonable mode of proceeding. He heard the
speech of the hon. member far Teviatock (Mr. Tee-
lawny) with surprise, and he could not but think that It
had been prepared to be delivered on the Coercion Bill de-
bate, and that the hon. gentleman, having had no opportu-
nity of delivering it on that occasion, sought to dovetail it
into the present discussion. (Laughter.) lie thought the
hen. gentleman's attempt to do so was most unfortunate.
(Hear, hear.) The bon. gentleman raid that Ireland was not
sufficiently taxed, but he was at a loss to know how the
honourable gentleman could justify that assertion, bear-
ing in mind that the landed property of Ireland was
rated at 13,187,0001., and that it had to bear exclusively
an enormous amount of taxation, which hail been im-
mensely increased by the introduction of the poor law. He
was acquainted with an estate of 8,0001. a year, of which
6,0001. was eaten up by 'membranes* and mortgages; and
was it fair to ask the man who bad only 2,0001. to pay poor
taxes on the whole amount? (Hear, bear.) He was in
favour of the poor law, but he believed it was susceptible of
much improvement in its derails. The hon. gentleman
seemed to think that if the people were ejected, they had an
alternative in the poor-law. He (Mr. Reynolds) would be
able to prove that In certain districts the poor rate was
not sufficient to meet the poverty of those districts.
From a return made by the poor-law commissioners during
the present month it appeared that on the 4th of last July
there were 2,600,000 paupers receiving rations.
An Hon. Maxima asked, what was the amount of the
poor rate ?
Mr. REYNOLDS.—That was a very proper question, but
one which he was unable to answer. (Laughter.) The
amount varied greatly in different districts; but in the
county of Mayo the entire rental would not afford 11. per
annum for the pauper populatitn. The aggregate number
of persona receiving rations in Leinster,?dunater,Connanght,
and Ulster, was as follows : able-bodied men, 163,463 ;
women, 101,160; families, 674,983; total, 842,606. How
was it passible when such was the state of things, that the
poor of Ireland could be supported by means of rates? In
principle he admitted that the property of Ireland
should be made to support its poverty ; aid be
was glad that that blister, at least, had been put •
upon the backs of the landlords. (Hear, hear.) He had no
wish to say much on the immediate subject of the motion—
the repeal of the union—knowing that it he did so his words
would only be received as a " thrice told tale." The:mo-
tion appeared to him to be simply one of pounds, shn
and pence. (Hear, hear.) He believed that the eiILM
the union had been to impoverish Ireland without entillhig
England ; and that the interests of both countries; come
volved in the consideration of the question. (Hear, hese.)
Formerly, gentlemen who supported repeal were charged
with something like sedition. The case, however, was ma-
terially altered. (Hear, hear.) He knew Ireland well, bad
been accustomed to travel through it by day and night, and
he had found that every clam, from the peer to the peasant,
felt that they wanted something. (Laughter.) He under-
stood the• cheer, and after the tiresome debates which they
had bad for the last three or four nights, he rejoiced to hear
it. A laugh put the house in a better temper, and rendered boo.
members more capable of discussing the question. (Laughter.)
Now, formerly it was said that Roman catholies alone were
in favour of the repeal of the union. Protestants, however,
were now beginning to fold their aims, and ask themselves
in sober earnestness, " What benefit have we derived from
this union ? It has diminished our bench of bishops, and
substituted a rent charge for tithes; it may soon go further."
The repeal of the union was, in fact, no longer a sect ,rian
questien ; some of the staunchest supporters or protestantism
were also supporters of repeal, while some of its strongest
opponents were Roman catholic members, representing Irish
constituencies. (Hear, hear.) In the city of Dublin there
was a general feeling that the only chance for the inhabi-
tants lay in the restoration of their parliament ; almost to a
man, the people were favourable to that measure. They felt
that the question had never yet received fair consideration
is that house, but they thought that it VMS now likely to do
so on account of the comparative absence of party in the new
parliament. He believed that the strength and stability of
the empire were involved in the question of the repeal of I
the union ; nor ougbt the people of Ireland themselves to be
thrown overboard in the consideration cf that question,
forming as they did a third of the population of the United
Kingdom, while their country bore an equal proportion in
point of geographical extent. (Hear, hear.) The majority
of the members of that house were no doubt desirous to
ameliorate the condition of the Irish nation, but unfor-
tunately they did not know how to do that. It had been
the misfortune of Ireland, almost from time immemorial, to
be quacked. It was time that quackery should be brought
to an end. Ever since the set of union Ireland had been
getting worse and worse, uu'il at last she was nothing better
than a great mendieity institution; her pauperism being so
extensive that it visited almost every nation on the earth.
Let bon. members read the accounts of the arrival of
emigrunts at New York and at Canada, wafting pestilence
and femme across the Atlantic, and involving even the
Americana in an enormous loss of life. (Hear, hear.) He
would not weary the house by bringing forward figures: in
that aspect the question had already been sufficiently die-
cuseetL lie would only say, that no harm could P
arise from inquiry, and, whatever might be the fatacra
motion, he hoped some hon. member would test the house,
by bringing forward a bill for the express pupae ofpeal:
log the union.
Dr. BOWRINO said he had intended to speak upon the
question before the house, not because it was Important he
itself, but because it had become so on account of a growing
feeling in this country in reference to it ; but, en ha}
gathered from various indications that it was the wide fifths I
house that there should be no delay in proceeding with '
thee question of paramount importance he should, on tint
merman, abstain from making any emeriti. (" Hear, hear,"
and cries of " Divide, divide.")
Mr. E. B. ROCHE said that, repeeaetiog so large a ewe-
stitemay, be weld not give a aitat vote. The grounds
time cob he wineated repeal WOOO TWO in number. The
Brat mom Weeiml sec It was an lallerleal fact that the
impede *Mature bad always aalepeessa Ireland, eves
when attempt had bees ark be peers the country
=leteprectically it had Mai fabrisant tat
ad
people. For 47 yews t ad
b
lueekedeeil Winieeti over the of Ireland, and
I the meg wan poverty and iiromboot fa every
no. wipe imam who wetwori beltuadtt
OMSK SO Web OMNI UMW, kat dor
psi gen it *el they woo* ael yam Oise. aim
They
Two ponds amid LW. al So ipor al allalimilas.
They were now is • data pew m a t hem et pielparllFL
but the dare WO amid whoa ea maw of the pm* ad