The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-18 00:00:00

DISTRESS IN IRELAND

The Earl of DARN LEY had reduced the.queetiona which
he had lately put to the Noble Earl opposite into the ehispe cf
a motion, winch he should lead at once, in order to put the
House in possession of his object It was his intention to
move for the date of the fleet authentic communication made to
the Irish Government on the subject of the epprehended dis-
tress in the county of Clare, and for the date of the first mea-
sure taken by ilia Alkeaty's Government to relieve that dietrees.
He had seen, by the votes of the other House, that on the If th
of May, yesterday, Mr. Secretaly Oculbourn had obtained
leave to being in a Bill to relieve the aistuAses of the Inich '
peasantry: Now when Faeliament, which ought to ha-:e been
assembled earlier, had at last been called in February, and,
in eon:levee-nee of an insurrection cccaaioned by distress having
broken out in Ireland, it was though: proper to introduce enter.
CiVe measures, they had been passed with a degree of rapidity
which had been justly termed indecent haste." But though
his Majesty's Ministers must have long since been poeeessed
of correct information respecting the state of Ireland and the
failure of the potatce crop, it did not appear that before the
any which ha had mentioned, the lEth of May, any one step
had been takers to remedy the distress existing in that ecuntry.
Every disposition had been shewn on his side of the House to
give every possible credit to toe Irish Government, arid even to
treat it, he would Nay, with an exerts of candour ; but, though
every any measures of relief had been expected, nothing had
yet been done. He trusted the time would speedily come when
then- Lordships would think it these duty to dise-aes that vital
duestion, the situation of Ireland, in all its bearings. The Noble
Lend then made his motion, but stated that he would riot Frets
it, if the Noble Earl eippozlte should be able to give him a r.a-
tizfactory answer,
The Earl of Livri-f.?ooL could positively say, that the
Noble Marquis at the head of the Irish Government had not
been many days resident in Dublin, when he had thought it
necessary to institute an inquiry into the etate of the harvest in
every part of Ireland. This had not been done in consequence
of any anticipation of a scarcity, but in order that the Cc-
vernment should be in possession of the red state cf the co-an-
try. The result had been a Report, declaring, that with re-
spect to the whole produce of the country, there was no danger
of a scarcity ; that even though the pct.-.the crop had partially
failed, what had been lost in quantity had teen made up in
quality ; and that the price in the valious.dia=lats afFeedeo ho
roundation to fear Lett-ea. The Noble Earl then re-nrged his
former arguments respecting the impolicy cf interfering with
the subsistence of the people. in no pant of the late .contest had
his Majesty's Government thought themselves justified in re-
commending such an interference in this country. The measure
adopted in 1801, granting henntlee on the importation of corn,
had turned out to be most impeovident, as not one quarter cf corn
had been brought into the country more than would otheew ise
have come, arid. the only effect had been to raise the price of the
article. lo the case of the distreet experienced in l-7,ctitlear.d, the
line taken had beers to inf&m the proprietors of laind in feat
country, that if they would agree to nay any rate which they
might think presser, and then wished (or an advance, Govern-
ment would undertake to make that advance, but could not
otherwiae, as England lead tier own pc-or to maintain.. Any
inteeference en the peat of the Government would derange the
whale system of :hod provided for the -people: and would tend
to check all individual eeteetion and charity. It had been al-
-1 certair.ed that even in the execution of the measures adopted
tee relieve the diatreee experienced in Ireland en 1510 and 1817,
the groreezt :lures had prevailed. Ile war satief.ed that even
these who held the doctrine that the Foe: Laws were a cneae,
would con rider them a blessing rather than a regular fide:pc-
' aition of the Government an the et-oh:deter:cc cf the people
'for they lay the burthen where it ought to lie. Whatever et-
iection there might be to the spurn, the principle was round.
iii 2cotland, where there was a velvintaany eereement, not a
cempuleery rate, the former was found mere effectual tlaan the
latter. Having the example cf 1816 ond 1817 before them, it
had been the duty cf the laish
,Government keep an he-
: tiae.eye, and to send agents to ascertain the true state of the
country ; for the moment that they would have become par-.
chasers in the market. the price would have risen, and all int;ei-
' vid-aal exertiena and charities would have been checked, They
knew that there wal an abundance of cats in those parts of the
country where distress now prevailed, and that illicit distil-
baton was carried on to an immense extent, and that COIL was
i actually exported at that time out of the county of Clete.
These circumstances imposed upon the Goverment the duty
of not hastily interfering. It was not till Aped 'that circ-am-
: StatICES induced the Lord Lieutenant to think that the time was
come to provide against the danger of not having a potatoe
; crop for the ensuing year- The beet information had been
procured respecting tne time necessary to plunt and insure
eneh a crop, and from all he had heard he was convinced that
the measure then adopted heed been taken in fall time to attain
that object. Ali teat it was possible to be done, had been
seen, and it was still a matter of doubt with him whethea it

PRICE. SEV EV PENCt.

might not ultimately do as much harm as good. With reepeae
to the subscription now going on, to the great credit of gold
ecuntry, it had received every kind of encouragement from
his lf.:ljettty'.a GOVeltlilelt, as it went on a sounder -principle.
than .any authoritative interference.. The charity of Englarl4
was so well known that it had been thought. advantageadac,
both in a moral and political point of -rie'w, to the intercoursae .
end cot/ler:ion between the two countries, that the people a.
Ireland should see with what redoor their English- brethren
eeme forwerd to the relief of tarnished Irishmen. Ef.oreper,
enanetit benelt would be derived from such a course than firuQuo .
anymore direct interference on the part of his Injestyji
verrnnent.
The natiirieeof LA.NSIIOI4,7NE agreed in the prinkipies
laid down by :the -ilobie eierk, and felt Inueh satisfaction at.
learning at iast that the Irish flovernment had instituted an
inquiry into the distresses* of the people as early as the com.
mencementof January,
.and that in fenril riaeasur,s had been
taken to_ relieve -those- distr.:sees. features of the cash,
however, were, very different front those of a general scarcity.
If the Irish Government,etherefore, had hzeugr.t into market,
not what was scarce, but what ••w= abundant, the alarm and
increased prices which the Noble Earl. seemed to apprehend.
' would not have been created. As _tee the failur.e in. the pat,
ietce crop, it had been, according to some, to the pttett •
fof One-half; and, according to: others,-to that of one-chilli,. •
of its• usual produce.. Filled: bean. sufficient, however, 'to_
deprive the people of food, and to render the disteess irre,
• mediable, except by stale extraordinary aid.on the part of tiee .
Go-iernir.ent, he a-Freed, however, witleethe Noble Earl, that
that aid should enly be given in addition to that of irelivi -
dual charity, end to the extent of making that which it was
not in the power eel individual char.r.y to attain. He had seen
with pleasure by the votes of the other House, that biz rei't-
.?esty's Gr.:vex-Jerrie:at were disposed to interfere in the mode
most bene:Ecial is pcitt of effect, and most jestiflable in point
cf principle, by giving assistance with the condition that ware.
should be perfcrrned. Ali rants were suspended in the de:-
tressed parts cf Ireland, and the resident laxidlerds were con-
oequently cc:nape:led to suspend their work; so that the pea-
santry were rot only unable to ray their rems, but to obteeri
that employment which could afford them the means of sub-
, eisterice and relief. The proposition Made in the other House
was therefore most judicious. lie hoped that it would be enter..
tamed with due favour by their .I.e.z..t.s'e.ips, and that when it
should come before them, as they had suspended their.Staeh...
' log 0raf...75 a pass measures of coercion, so they would also
suspend teose Standing Orders to pass without.delay a mea-
sure teneing to relieve the distdistress of a starving populatioe.
Under these cireurnstan.ces be hoped :that c.s Noble Eziend
would not press his motion.
're Earl of DARNI,:nr• having also expressed his r_ arty
concurrence in the measure proposed in the other ;House,
motion—Ad,:curnea Monday.