The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-19 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, llfitzcir IS.

In consequence of there being a ballot for a Committee
to try the merits of a petition presented from Liverpool
against the return of Mr. Ewart, the Gallery was not
opened till Twenty Minutes to Five o'clock.
Several private Bills were forwarded a stage.
DECCAN PRIZE MONEY.

Colonel SIBTIIORPE wished to ask the Noble Lord
(th• Chancellor of the Exchequer) whethi r any probable
information could he given relative to the distribution of
the Deccan prize money. He did not wish to attach blame
to any particular elites of persons, but as no inconsiderable
delay had already taken place, it was very desirable that
some period should be fixed for its distribution.

Lord ALTHORP said, that the patties most inte-
rested in the decision of the question had objected to its
bring referred by the late Government to Sir James Scar-
lett and Sir Charles Wetherell (then Attorney and So-
licitor-General), because those gentlemen had been em-
ployed in the argument before the Privy Council ; there-
fore the present 11Iinisters had referred the case to the
present Attorney-General, as he had not taken hitherto
any part in the discussion.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

Mr. D. BROWNE presented petitions from parishes in
Mayo, paying Parliamentary aid for the improvement of
the nevigation of the river Moyle. He said that the ad-
vances made by the House for public works in Ireland had
done much, not only to abate distress, but to imptove the
condition and habits of the people. He described the
distress at present prevailing in Mayo and other parts of
the West of Ireland to be excessive and increasing.
Mr. J. SMITH confirmed the statements of Mr.
Browne respecting the distress of the poor in Ireland.
Sir ROBERT BATESON said, that the distress was
net confined to Mayo sod the west of Ireland, but was
equally prevalent in several of the northern counties.
Mr. JAMES GRATTAN agreed with the Hon. Baronet
in the opinion that the increase of the distress was alarm-
ing, and that it would he necessary for the Government
to do something for its alleviation.
Sir ROBERT BATESON did not wish it to be un-
derstood that he had alluded to the necessity of grants
from the Government to relieve the distress. There were
other measures which he believed it would he necessary
to resort to in order to prevent a dreadful scarcity of
frod—such, for instance, as a temporary prohibition of the
use of grain in the distilleries.—(Hear.)
Mr. LEADER read extracts from several reports,
showing the beneficial effects which had resulted from
Parliamentary grants for the employment of the poor, and
fur local improvements in Ireland. So great was the sti-
mulus given to industry by the expenditure of those sums,
that the revenue was, in each instance, during the pro-
gress of the works to which the grants were applied, in-
creased to nearly double the amount of the sum advanced
by the Government. As an Irish gentleman he felt
bowed down with sorrow and disgrace when he beard the
distres-es of Ireland brought forward as subjects of discus-
sion in that House. Irish gentlemen ought to consider
the great effects which had been produced by Parliamen-
tary grants of comparatively aural sums of money, which
plainly showed that if they employed at home one-half of
the produce which is at present exported, to the amount
of ten millions annually, in the shape of rent to absentee
landlords, and for which no return whatever is made,
scarcely one man would be unemployed in Ireland.
Mr. GEORGE R. DAWSON could confirm the
statements made by the gentleman who preceded him
respecting the distress in several parte of Ireland. But
he could not admit that the means of relieving it ought
to come from the Government. He could not consent to
gentlemen's bringing Ireland annually before that House
es a mendicant. He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman
(31r. Leader) that Ireland had abundant resources in her-
self for her own relief, if they were properly made use of.
It seemed to him that the most effectual means by which
the Legislature could promote the improvement of that
country would be the passing of a Bill to allow Grand
Juries to raise money for public works and local improve-
ments, upon the security of the county rates ; or, per-
haps, the institution of Poor Laws, and a Bid empower-
ing parishes to mortgage the rates fur money to be em-
ployed in public works.
Mr. O'CONNELL considered it his duty, as an Irish
Member, to inform the House and the country that the
most frightful distress was spreading over Ireland, and that
a famine was approaching. He did not know what was
to be the remedy : he would not undertake to suggest any ;
he dared say that the Government were anxious to devise
one ; but he begged them not to invest the Grand Juries
of Ireland with any new power—he begged them not to
countenance any scheme for enabling those Juries to tax
the people under pretence of relieving them.—(Hear,
hear.)—The distresses of that people were the mere
grievous, as it was undeniable that the produce of their
soil and of their industry was not only ample but super-
abundant. It was lamentable that a country whose pro-
duction was greater in proportion to its population than
perhaps any country in the world should be subject to pe-
riodical famine.

Lord ALTHORP was sure the Hou‘e would feel that
the Government must have much difficulty in treating a
subject of the kind then under the consideration of the
House. No doubt there was, as his Hon. Friend had
stated, much distress in the county of Mayo ; but nnhap-

pity the distress was not confined to tile: part of the
country, and the Government had much difficulty in at-
tempting to deal with matters so limited and local, lest
they title ht do more hartn than good ; if upon inquiry, how-
ever, they were enabled to learn any thing that could jus-
tify or give room for beneficial interference on their part,
they would he most happy to do all in their power con-
sistently with their sense of duty.
Mr. HODGES said that a tax upon absentees, in the
form of a well-regulated poor-rate, would be the only re-
medy for this periodical famine which visited Ireland.
Mr. A. LEFROY defended the resident landlords.
After a few words from Sir AL W. RIDLEY, Mr.
BENETT, and Mr. RUTHVEN,
Lord KILLEEN said that the distress was not confined
to Mayo, but extended all over Ireland.
Mr. SADLER had no difficulty in asserting that the
wealth of the country ought, by compulsory means, to be
made to sustain the poverty of the peojijes New cases of
that kind would be continually recuri,apet-until provision
was made for the poor.
Mr. HUME said that the time from five to seven o'clock
had been set apart for receiving petitions upon Reform,
and
they bad now spent a considerable portion of that time in
discussing poor Jaws.
After a few words from Mr. D. BROWNE, the peti-
tion was ordered to be printed.
Sir R. BATESON, in the absence of an Hon. Friend,
presented a petition from the ship-owners of the port of
Whitby against the proposed alteration in the duty on
tinsb. r.
Mr. HODGES presented a petition from Deptford,
Greenwich, Woodchurch, and another place in Kent, in
favour of Reform.
Mr. H. HOPE presented a petition from East Lose,
against the Ministerial plan of Reform.
Mr. RUTHVEN presented a petition from a parish in
Yorkshire, in favour of Reform. The same Hon. Mem-
ber presented a petition from Coventry, praying for the
removal of all taxes affecting the circulation of knowledge.
On a former day he gave notice that on that night he
should move that the duty on Newspapers be reduced to
one halfpenny; but us he understood the proposition to
which he intended to move that as an amendment was not
to be that night moved, he should, he feared, he precluded
from then submitting that amendment to the House : but
he was resolved to take an early opportunity of doing so,
for he considered it to be of extreme importance to the
instruction of the people, and their happiness and tran-
quillity.
Mr. HUNT most cordially supported the prayer of the
petition. Whether a halfpenny or a penay was proposed,
he should support such a reduction.
PENRYN.

Mr. FRESTIFIELD 'presented a petit;on from Penryn,
complaining that a petition which had been rent against
the fbrmer Men-ber of that borough, and complaining of
the corrnption there, had been lately presented to that
House. He could n!,t allow such a circumstance to pass
without pressing o❑ the House that the old petition did
not relate to the present Member for that borough, he
hawing been returned without any bribery or corruption,
nor to the last election,

Lord ALTHORP was understood to say that he was
the person who had presented that petition. He had re-
ceived a great numb,r on Reform, and that might pro-
bably have found its way among the others. r He was glad
to learn from the Hon. Member that the electors of Pen-
ryn had had so much improved.—Petiti,m laid on the table.