The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-06 00:00:00

OATH OF SUPREMACY.

The Earl of WICKLOW presented a petition from
the Earl of Clancarty, complaining thus he was pre-
vented from exercising his privileges by the oath of
supremacy, as he could not, considering the policy
pursued towards Roman Catholics of late years, take
an oath declaring the non-existence of the authority of
the Pope within this realm.
LOAN SOCIETIES BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
ASSAULTS (IRELAND) BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
SOAP DUTY ALLOWANCES BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
SHERIFF OF WESTMORELAND BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, July 6.
POOR-LAW (IRELAND) BILL.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. GRACE knew from experience that the clause
precluded mlny suff•>ring and deserving persons from
obtaining relief, and gave his warm support to the motion.
The Committee then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion
Against it 74
Majority „, „, —62

Sir JOHN WALSH moved the following clau,e:—
" And be it enacted. that from and after the passing of
this Act it may and shall be lawful for the Poor-law
Commissioners, and they are hereby required to divide
the electoral divisions of the several unions in Ireland
into such and so many rating districts as to them shall
seem fit; and when the said division of such electoral
division shall have been duly made by the said Com-
missioners, each such rating district shall constitute
a separate rating district for the relief of the poor
now resident within the same, and no pauper or destitute
person shall be entitled to relief under this Act or any
Act for administering relief to the destitute poor of Ire-
land, save and except from and on account of the rating
district, so to be formed as aforesaid, in respect to which
his legal claim for relief arises and such electoral
division, so divided into rating districts as aforesaid,
shall continue to be an electoral division, for all the
purposes of election of guardians, and of representation
at the board of guardians of the union within which same
shall be situated ; provided always, that in forming such
rating districts the Commissioners shall, as far as
circumstances will permit, have regard to the boun-
daries of the several properties within such elec-
toral division, so as to form the property of
each proprietor in such electoral division (or in such
union, if they shall so think fit,) into a separate rating
district, if such property shall amount in rated value
to the annual sum of 1,0001.; and if the rated value of
any such property shall not amount to the said sum, it
shall be lawful for the said Commissioners to unite such
and so many of the adjoining properties as to them
shall seem tit, so as to form a separate rating district
for the purposes of this Act : and provided also, that no
rating district, to be formed under the authority of this
Act, shall exceed in rated value the amount of 3,0001.
per annum: and provided also, that nothing herein con
tained shall be construed to limit or prevent the said
Commissioners from forming any rating districts of any
smaller extent than 1,0001. rated value per annum, if it
shall seem expedient and necessary to them so to do."
Sir W. SOMERVILLE trusted that the Hon. Mem-
ber would not press this clause, as they were nearly at
the close of the Committee, when it would not be ad-
visable to discuss the merits of it.
Sir JOHN WALSH consented to withdraw the
clause, but thought the question of the area of taxation
was one of the most important parts of the Irish
poor-law.
Colonel DUNNE observed that the Irish Members
would never be satisfied until the question of area was
determined.

After a words from Mr. ROIHE and Mr. HERBERT the
clause was withdrawn.

Mr. POULETT SCROPE then moved the following
clause:—"And whereas the relief that can be afforded to
certain classes of the destitute poor, under the second
section of the said recited Act, is confined to food only,
and that many such persons have experienced great suf-
fering, and the destruction of health, and even of life,
from want of the means for procuring shelter, clothing.
or fuel wherewith to cook the raw food allowed to them,
be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for the guardians of
any union in which the order of the Poor-law Commis-
sioners to afford relief to such persons is in force, to
afford such other r, lief to them, besides food, as shall ap
pear to them necessary for the preservation of their lives
and health."

Sir W. SOMERVILLE opposed the clause, observing
hat it would open the door to very great abuses. It was

impossible for any law to meet every case of difficulty;
and instead of distributing clothes, which would give
rise to abuses, ho thuught they ought to confine them-
selves to relieving the urgent necessities of the poor.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL alluded to the wretched condi-
tion of some of the poor. and said he considered that the
proposition of the Hon. Member to supply them with
clothes would be of great benefit to them, and would
protect them from much misery.
Mr. SHARM AN CRAWFORD said it would be a
matter of economy in many instances if the guardians
had a discretionary power of administrating clothing and
shelter to applicants for relief, as well as food. Fur this
reason he would support the clause.

Mr. G. MOORE said the present system of adminis-
tering out-door relief in Ireland was wholly inadequate
to support the life of the applicants, and the consequence
was that hundreds of the people were literally dying
from starvation.

Mr. CORNEW ALL LEWIS said the giving a discre-
tionary power to the guardians to administer relief in
shelter and clothing would lead to no practical results in
the poorer districts in Ireland, unless there was a
power of increasing the fund out of which the relief was
granted.
Mr. P. SCROPE said the guardians at present had
only the power of giving relief in food to the able-bodied
poor; and he thought a poor man who had been turned
out of house and home required relief in shelter and
clothing quite as much as food. He was therefore de-
sirous of giving the guardians the discretionary power of
administering relief to the able-bodied in clothing and
shelter as well as food.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said any poor-law would al-
ways be subject to the difficulty of administering out-
door relief in such a way as not to induce the able-bodied
poor to prefer the acceptance of that relief to supporting
themselves by their own labour.. He admitted that it

might be in many cases most desirable that the guar-
dians should have the power of granting relief in shelter
and clothing as well as in food; at the same time he
thought such a power would be always liable to abuse,
inasmuch as the able-bodied labourer would frequently
prefer such relief to depending upon his own exertions.
Strangers were ordered to withdraw, but no divison
took place, the Hon. Member for Stroud having agreed
to withdraw his clause.
Sir D. NORREYS proposed the following clause :
" Whereas the reduction of the period of residence which
shall create chargeability from thirty months to twelve
months, will tend to increase unjustly the rates of the
_ _

cities and towns of Ireland, inasmuch as from the demo

lition of the houses of the poorer classes in the rural
districts, the destitute poor are compelled to seek shelter
and employment in them, be it enacted, that no destitute
poor person claiming relief shall be chargeable to the
electoral division in which any city or market town may
be situated, who shall have come to reside therein within

two years next previous to his application for relief, un-
less he shall, previous to such two years, have occupied
some certain place of residence therein for twelve months
continuously, but that in every such ease the applicant
for relief shall be chargeable to that electoral
division to which he would have been chargeable pre-
vious to bis coming to reside in the town electoral divi-
sion." The proposition of the Hon. Member for Cork
would not relieve the small towns. What he (Sir D.
Norreys) proposed was, that the provisions of the poor-
law should not become applicable to paupers who had
not come to reside in towns within the last two years.
Mr. HERBERT opposed the clause.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
Committee divided, when there appeared—
Fur the clause ...
Against it
Majority against the clause
The clause was consequently lost.
Colonel DUNNE then rose pursuant to notice to move
the following clause:—" And be it further enacted
that when any land shall have been unoccupied
and laid waste for the period of twelve months
next before the 25th day of March, 1849, the board
of guardians may excuse any new occupier of such land
from the payment of any arrears of rates left unpaid by a
former occupier of such land."
Lord JOHN RUSSELL opposed the clause, consider-
ing that if it was passed it would have the effect of
excusing the payment of all arrears whatever.
After some dkeu3sion,
C lone) DUNNE withdrew the clause.
The House then resumed.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that he proposed to take the
report to morrow at twelve o'clock, and the third reading
on Monday next.
The House, shortly after four o'clock, adjourned to
six o'clock.

... 73
... -66

The House resumed at Six o'clock.
BRITISH GUIANA.
Mr. HUME present,,d a petition from the elected mem-
bers of the colony of British Guiana complaining that th..y
are compelled to pay a civil list to the extent of 39.0001. a
year when the circumstances of the colony could not
afford it.

Wesleyp a PROTECTION OF WOMEN.
__Mr. T. BARING presented a petition from certain
Methodists in favour of the Bill for the better
rroteottou of Women.