The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-21 00:00:00

DENUNCIATIONS.

Mr. LAW presented a petition from Holt, in Nor-
folk, complaining of denunciations by Roman Catholic
priests, and praying the House to take steps to bring
the persons so acting to punishment.
ADMISSION OF JEWS.

The LEARNED GENTLEMAN also presented a petition
from the same place against the admission of Jews.
Sir G. GREY presented a petition from Alnwick,
in Cumberland, to the same effect.
DENUNCIATIONS.

Lord MORPETH presented a petition from the
West Riding of Yorkshire, praying the House to
pass an enrctment to punish those priests who de•
nounced persons from the altar.
Mr. STAFFORD presented a petition from North-
ampton to the same effect.
THE WEST INDIES.

Mr. CARDWELL presented a petition from
the West Indian Association of Liverpool, com-
plaining that this country admitted slave-grown
sugar after preventing such labour in the colonies,
and stating that unless they gave immediate relief
our \Vest Indian colonies must fall into non-culti-
vation.

TUES4AY EVENING, DECEMBJNR,, 21, 1847.

gentry of Ireland had to contend. They were sur-
rounded by starving multitudes whom it was
impossible for them, by any effort, to provide with
sustenance, and he greatly feared that in many
parts of the country any exertion they could snake
would be wholly insufficient to keep the people alive,
and that the task would thus again fall on that
House of saving the people from starvation. He
was of opinion that Parliament had taken the proper
course in passing the Bill for the suppression of crime
and outrage in Ireland, in the first instance, but he
hoped that after the recess they would lose no time
in considering other measures for the relief of that
country. Considering that the crop on which de-
pended the whole support of the people had been alto-
gether destroyed, it was no wonder that the great
distress which prevailed last year should have existed.
The efforts made by Parliament had no doubt the
effect of saving the lives of many of the people ; but
it should not be forgotten that one consequence of
these efforts was, that the people were taken away
from the cultivation of the soil, and that there was
necessarily a great diminution in the crops for the
present year, and a proportionate want of the means of
support. He was glad, however, to be able to say that
he saw the prospect of a much more extensive culti-
vation of the soil next year.
Mr. HERRIES said he rose to exress a hope that
his Hon. Friend would not press his amendment.—
(Hear, hear.) He was quite sure that no Member
of the House would hesitate to sacrifice or postpone
his own interests or convenience for the public good,
but on this question he was willing to place confidence
in her Majesty's Government, and to rest satisfied
that they would not have fixed on any period for the
adjournment that was not in conformity with the
public interest. He hoped and trusted that the state-
ments which had been made that evening by the two
Hon. Members fur North Warwickshire as to the
sufferings of the manufacturing operatives in their
district would not be lost sight of by the Government.
—(hear, hear.) They had also heard something
about the distress existing in Ireland. Very little at-
tention had been pail by the House, during the recent
sitting:, to the embarrassment under which the
manufacturers now labour, and to the distressed con-
dition of the operatives. It had been stated, he be-
lieved, on authority, that t o-fifths of the working
classes in the manufacturing districts were out of
employment, and that of the remainder, a portion only
were in full employment; that there was a very large
number of factory mills now working short titne, and
no inconsiderable number not working at all. He
believed that it was also an undoubted fact, that there
were merchants from abroad who purchased the raw
cotton here at a lower price then our own merchants
had it in bond, and who sent it to be manufactured in
other countries where labour was far cheaper than
here.—(Hear, hear.) This was a subject which de-
served the most serious and anxious consideration, not
only of her Majesty's Ministers, but of Parliament.—
(Hear, hear.) He hoped that Parliament would not
be re• assembled long before this matter was brought
under their attention. There was also another subject
which attracted much interest throughout the coun-
try, and that was the present state of the currency
and banking laws.—(Hear, hear.) He would nut
say anything that could by possibility lead to a dis-
cussion on that question at present, but as he had
been called upon from various quarters to take it up,
and as he had even on that day been entrusted with a
petition signed by 130 respectable firms in Liverpool
(which, owing to an accident, he was unable to pre-
sent that day), alluding to the obstructive character
of the existing banking laws, he felt it to be his duty
to take that opportunity of stating that he hoped, at
the earliest day he could select, after the meeting of
Parliament, to bring the subject under the attention
of the House. Wishing that the Bill relating to the
suppression of crime and outrage in Ireland should
have precedence, he had been induced to postpone his
motion on this subject until the notice of the adjourn-
ment of the House rendered it impossible for him to
bring it forward at the present short sitting. He hoped
that her Majesty's Ministers would admit the great
importance of the subject, and aid him in bringing it
befcre the House at as early a period as possible.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL—I mean to address my-
self in the first place to some observations that fell
from the Honourable Baronet the Member for Clare

(Sir Lucius O'Brien). The Honourable Member
referred to great distress existing in various parts of
Ireland, and to the exertions made by gentlemen of
property in various parts of the kingdom to alleviate
that distress. I cannot, unhappily, contradict his state
ment of the distress which prevails, and I am happy to
say that I draw from all the accounts that have been
received that great exertions have been made by gen
tlemen of property to alleviate the distress which ex-
ists, and I believe the number of applications that have
been made under the Land Improvement Act shows
a general wish on the part of those possessing pro-
perty in Ireland to give employment to the poor
in their neighbourhoods. But when the Honourable
Baronet goes on to express his expectation and hope
that relief will be given by Parliament to meet the
prevailing distress, I must say that, in the first place,
I think it would be necessary that we should have
proof that every exertion possible has been made to
carry into effect the law passed in the last session of
Parliament for the better relief of the poor in Ireland
in the various unions in that country.—(Hear, hear.)
I certainly do not in any way regret the relief we
voted last year, but at the same time I cannot forget
that we considered at the time—and the event has
since proved that we were right—that even that re-
lief would be a serious burden on other parts of the
kingdom. I believe, myself, that the failure of the
harvest of 1846, in this part of the United Kingdom,
would not of itself have afflicted this country with
the very high price of provisions which we know has
prevailed during the present year, but that from the
steps taken in order to enable the distressed in Ireland
to obtain food, the consequence was a very high price
of provisions in this country, extending to a rate
which had not been known before since the cessation
of the wan—(Wear, hear.) In the next place, the
increase in the speculations in corn, which has thus
been encouraged, has led, in a great extent, to the
commercial distress that has lately taken place.—
(Hear, hear.) Ido not say that this is a reason why
we should not, in any extreme case, afford assistance
to the distress in Ireland; but I beg, at the same
time, to call the attention of the Honourable Baronet
and of other Honourable Members of this House re-
presenting Irish towns and Irish counties, to the
statement that has been made, and I believe very
truly made, this evening by the Hon. Member for
North Warwickshire, respecting the great distress
and want of employment which prevails in the manu-
facturing parts of England.—(Hear, hear.) I
think we are entitled to say, that as no
one asks, or probably will ask, that persons who are
out of employment in this country, and who
will have to be sustained by the poor-rates,
shall be sustained by a grant from the Consolidated
Fund, so likewise we cannot propose any vote of
money from the Treasury for the support of those
Nilthth regarde
poor
s
who are in distress in Ireland until all possible efforts
to
ohra
shall
lhe havearroybisnegrbvoeauetnti
observations
w
eail
made.—(Hear,
h(fHofreelatl hr,efrormeli ef of
hear).
thev Right Hon.
Gentleman who has just sat down, I beg to say that
I am glad to find that he does not approve of shorten-
ing the period which we propose for the adjournment
of the House. I think it is far better that we should
adjourn till the month of February, with the determi-
nation of seriously endeavouring to encounter the
business that must then come before us.—(Hear,
hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman says, that at
that time he will have a motion to bring forward
respecting the commercial condition of the country.
I have only to say, that when that motion
comes on we shall be ready to state our views to
the House, and I rest confident that though we may
differ from the Right Hon. Gentleman with respect
to the Act of 1844, we shall not differ with him on
one chief point, that he will be as desirous as we are
ourselves of preserving the convertibility of that part
of our currency which is in paper into gold, and that
he will not give the sanction of his high authority to
any of those various measures which gentlemen in
Birmingham put forth, and the adoption of which
would, I have no doubt, prove most injurious to the
interests, and to the character and good faith of the
country.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentle-
man the Member for the University of Oxford has
asked me a question respecting the time when we in-
tend bringing forward the consideration of the
navigation-laws. I certainly hesitated making a
promise that that question would be brought
forward immediately after the recess. I beg
the Right Honourable Gentleman to consider—
and the subject is one within his knowledge—
what a small proportion of the time allotted to busi-
ness is given by the Howe to her Majesty's Govern-
ment for bringing forward the measures which they
think necessary to bring under the consideration of
Parliament.—(Hear, hear.) There are but two days
in the week, or eight days in the month, on which the
Government are allowed precedence, and this very
evening the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for
Stamford (Mr. Herries) has asked us to give one even
of those days for the discussion of his motion.---
is
allowed hear.) Feeling what a very short period
allowed for the debates on Government measures, I
certainly felt myself unwilling to state that we would
fix on an early day to bring forward the subject of
the navigation-laws, and at present I am not prepared
to say whether, until we have all the returns re-
lating to the revenue before us, after the
recess, we shall bring this question under
the consideration of Parliament.—(Hear, hear.)
Therefore I wish to reserve to ourselves
a discretion as to the time when we shall
bring the subject 'forward; but at the same time I
can assure the Right Hon. Gentleman that I am quite
willing that the question shall be brought on at such
a time as that parties interested in it shall be fully
able to bring under consideration all matters con-
nected with it.—(Hear, hear.) Another reason why
I cannot now fig the time more closely is that we