The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 25.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on theWoolsack
at Five o'clock.
DISTRESS IN SPITALFIELS.
Lard BROUGHAM presented a petition from the rector,
Ole churchwardens, and vestrymen of Christ Church,
Spitalfields, praying their Lordships to take into eon-
eideration the distress in that parish, which was being
every day augmented by the distress prevalent in Ire-
land, and to legislate for the Causes which operate on
that distress in Ireland. The Noble Lord said he
would not express any opinion on the prayer of the pe-
tition. He had already spoken on the subject of Irish
distress, and ke had the gravest doubt whether they
could Pass any permanent measures till they reached
fairer wr_ather.

LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
'The NOBLE and LEARNED LORD also presented a
petition from the rate-payers of Bradford, in Notting.
filainshire, against the law of settlement.

MARKETS AND FAIRS CLAUSES BILL.
On the motion of the Earl of CLARENDON, the
House went into Committee on this Bill.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, after the Bill had
passed through Committee, was abont to report pro-
glens, when
Lord BROUGHAM interposed, and said he had pe-
titions from several companies whose Bills would be af-
fected by this measure to present before it passed, and
the did not know the occasion was so near, or he would
have presented them before. Ho had also a
clause framed by these companies, which he
would lay before his Noble Friend (Earl of Clarendon)
opposite, and he would take another opportunity to
bring the amendment before their Lordships, when the
Bill came to another stage. But, of course, the Noble
Earl must at present report progress.
Earl SRAFTESBURY then reported progress.
Their Lordships having resumed, the Commissioners'
Clausen, and Waterworks' Clauses Bills went through
(omraittee in order to he reported with amendments.
DRAINAGE OF LAND BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this Bill,
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH moved the insertion
erif a clause, limiting the amount of money to be expended
in carrying out the Act.
Earl MINTO resisted the introduction of the clause,
believing that the Bill itself limited the amount to be
'expended.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said that there was no great
use in pressing the amendment ; he only moved it by
way of protest.
The amendment was then negatived without a division,
and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
CONDUCT OF SIR EARDLEY WILMOT.
Lord STANLEY rose to bring forward the motion of
which he had given notice. Re desired to obtain copies
of the correspondence which had taken place between
the Colonial-office and the Governor of Van Diemen's
Land. His motion was of an unusual character, yet, as
Pie believed that no objection would be offered by the
'Government, it would only be necessary to state
the nature of the motion and the grounds
upon which he made it. He did not make
it of his own accord, but at the earnest desire of a public
sservant, who complained, though 16,000 miles distant,
he had been made the victim of calumnious assertions
against his private and personal character, which
he declared to be wholly false and calumnious.
He did not wish to enter into any disquisition on the
government of the colonies, yet he was ready to admit
that there could be no situation in which the observance
of morality and decorum was more necessary than in that
of the governor of a colony. While he had the honour
of holding the office of Colonial Secretary, in 1845,
rumours respecting the conduct of Sir Eardley Wilmot,
the Governor of Van Diemen's Land, reached him.
These reports were, that such was the scandal•
ous misconduct of the Governor, and such was
the immorality prevailing at his house, that it
was impossible for any family to visit it. That state-
anent did not attract his attention; but, having been
promulgated in this country, it reached the
'colonies in the month of April, whe're as soon
as it was known that such statements had been made,
in England, all the chief persons in the colonies, who
were in constant intercourse with the Governor, sent
back a counter-statement, which was received in
October last in this country.—(Hear.) It happened.
that when this refutation was sent from the colonies
Lis Right Hon. Friend had succeeded to the officeof Se-
cretary ; he having also heard these rumours, and
having on other grounds been determined to remove
Sic Eardley Wilmot from the office of Governor,
he addressed a secret dispatch to the Governor, in which
be stated his reasons for his removal, adding, at the
Same time, that he thought it necessary to inform him
ehat these rumours had reached him, and that unless they
were satisfactorily refuted he would not bu able
to advise her Majesty to employ Sir Eardley
Wilmot in any other colony. Sir Eardley immediately
wrote back that ho was exceedingly happy to receive
the communication, and that be was prepared not only
to give the most peremptory and absolute denial to the
charges, but that he was deterrniued to remain on the
spot after he had been deprived of all authority,
and that he would there submit his conduct to the
strictest investigation. Ile did so, and a Committee
was appointed of the Executive Council, to which was
'added the Governor of the Army and the Archdeacon.
The Committee reported that none of the charges
Inside were capable of being substantiated ; that
there was only one mode that could be adopted,
eattmely, to invite any person who had charges
to make against the personal character of Sir
Eardly Wilmot, to come forward and substantiate it ;
but, whilst recommending this course, they admitted
that it was open to objections, and would not unlikely
lead to the creation of an impolitic precedent. The
(Council at that time had no power of calling witnesses,
which made the investigation more difficult and linen.
Lamm They, therefore, reported that in their opi-
nion it was not expedient to enter upon the inves-
tigation, and gave as their reasons, in explicit
terms, hat during their private and official intercourse
with Sir E. Wilmot for three years, nothing had trans-
pired to show that ho had been guilty of any
'violation of the decencies of private life. It
was signed by the Commander of the Forces.
the Colonial Secretary, the Colonial Treasurer, the
bread police magistrate, the minister of the parish, and
sothere. A petition, generally signed, was agreed to in
Hobart Town, giving the rnost unqualified contradiction to
'the reports which had been spread injurious to the
'character of Sir E. Wilmot. lie had the authority fur
saying that the Right Hon. Gentleman who had suc-
ceeded him in the Colonial-office (Mr. Gladstone) had no
objection to theproduction of the papers. When an officer
who had been. telde,by the Secretary for the Colonies
that unless.the''iaa which were made against him
-were refutekselia*ittld not recommend him to any
other uffseseeeinrsito- the Crown, and when that
dicer remained Tor some time on the spot in order
that the charges might he fully investigated, and when
they were not proved, he consid: red that it was but
Lojtice that the papers should be produced. The Noble
rd concluded by moving Ene their production.
Earl GREY sail, except under no ordinary Orem-
:stances, ho should have objected to the production of
these papers; but as the circumstances were so peculiar,
it was right that the correspondence which had been
moved for should be produced. The Honourable Gen-
tleman who preced, d him ie the Colonial-office had
.no objection to their production.
The motion was then agreed to.
THE ARMY—LIMITING THE SERVICE.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY gave notice that
Le should put the following questions to the Noble
Marquis (Lansdowne) to-morrow t—Whether, the Bill
which had been introduced into the House of Commons by
her M ijesty's Government for limiting the service in
the army, had received the sanction and approba-
'ion of the Commander-in-Chief; or if it had ori-
inated with her Majesty's Government, or of any
officer, and whether the opinion of any board of
general officers had been taken, or other competent
authorities ; and, secondly, whether it was the intention
of her Majesty's Ministers to issue a warrant like that
issued in October, 180 G, to raise the pensions of non-
commissioned officers when entitled to their discharge?
Lord 'BROUGHAM moved for a return of the cor-
respondence upon an inquiry into the subject of relief
works in Clare; and also the letter written by Captain
Gordon, of Clare, on the same subject.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

ROUSE 01 COMMONS, March 25.
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND).
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK (in continuation from
our Afternoon Edition of yesterday) said —He
bad told them that since the month of Sep-
tember—that was now six months-50,000 tons of
provisions had come into the port of Limerick. But in
one week, in the course of this year, 30,000 quarters of
corn went out of the port of Limerick; so that, after all,
what did these 50,000 tons of provisions amount to when
placed by the side of the 30,000 tons exported from the
same port?—(Hear.) But that was not all. It might
be true that these provisions were now imported by private
speculators; but what compensation was that for the deaths
of some 200,000 who had died from starvation, or from
pestilence growing out of starvation, whilst waiting
for this supply? But if the Government had had one-
tenth part of the sympathy shown by the people of
Zoston, by America, for the starving people of Ireland,
all that food might have been supplied at least six
months ago. What did they see by the last returns?
They were told that, although the meal depots had been
diminished, yet, in truth, they had increased, and that it
oaawqaite a mistake to argue that, because there were
24 depots, whereas there were 93 when the • ca
into Office that the amount of provisions distributed had
been in like manner diminished. He had looked at the
last calculation, and what was the value of the food dis •
tributeil for t°
present Governme
eenek ending the 6th of March by the
a month—but one tetntlit was 262,0001., about 1,048,000/.
--of the food distributed Part —scarcely an eleventh part
loleilhyththe late Government in the
month of June last
present
famine was not a ninth
part what it was at the
considered the
Eiv.,ht
non.
these circumstances that he cnot It was under
Ireland,re had little
Gentleman, the Chief Seeretanr
had
ated upon the
cause to congratulate himself w hye n °bre
hundreds of thousands of persons who
ins administration of affairs in Ireland. died under
Mr. WILLIAMS thought that statements of the ex-
penditure for Ireland should be weekly laid on the table
Aoi the House, in order to show how much this country
was doing, and how little the landlords of Ireland vver-e
doing for the relief of their own countrymen. In South
Wales one small town subscribed at a meeting 3.000 L
for the relief of the Irish distr.:Fs, and at the different
assizes in that part of the kingdom large sums of money
had been subscrib,,d fcr a similar object. This country
was doing much, but tholiVon whom the people of Ire-
land had the greatest reason to look in their present
suffering were doing absolutely nothing..
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the observations which had been made by the Noble Lord

were merely repetitions of his speech the other evening.
The Government could not answer such repetitions
which would merely occupy the House, and he hoped
that Hon. Members would allow the Bill to goon.
Mr. COLLETT said that he rose in consequence of
information which he bad received on Saturday last
from Wicklow, from a gentleman resident there. It was
stated to him that the preservation of the public peace
was very doubtful, in consequence of the discharge of
numerous men from the public works. Nearly 1,000
persons had been discharged, and they could now have
nothing but plunder to look to for the preservation of
life. He had felt it his duty, seeing the Secretary for
Ireland in his place, to rise and give the information as
he had received it.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wished
to say one word. He had that day received a letter
from Colonel Jones, in the district referred to by the
Hon. Member, and he stated that the reduction of the
numbers employed upon the public works had passed off
very quietly, and no disturbance whatever was appre-
hended. It was impossible to answer for the state of the
whole country, but in general the districts is which
these reductions had taken place were perfectly quiet.
Major LAYARD thought that the attacks which had
been made upon the Government were most unjustifiable.
The Hon. Member for Shrewsbury had laid the blood
of the people upon the head of the Government, and
the Noble Lord who had lately spoken upon this subject
had laid the blood of the people upon the head of the
Noble Lord at the head of the Government. A jury
in Ireland had, by their verdict, made the Noble Lord
answerable for the lives of the people, but then they
were in a state of excitement at seeing the people star-
ving around them. He thought that these attacks should
cease, and the Government be allowed to proceed with
the Bill.
INFLUX OF PAUPERS INTO ENGLAND.
Lord SANDON wifted to know whether greater
freedom of action could be given to the law which ena-
bled the authorities to remove the Irish paupers from
this country. These people were coming over by thou-
sands and tens of thousands, and unless some machinery
was introduced for the purpose, it would become impos-
sible to remove them from this country. There was a
great unwillingness at present to remove any of these
persons, while proper provisions did not exist for them
in Ireland, but he thought that in Committee upon this
Bill a clause should be introduced for the purpose he
had mentioned.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that he had received
some information from Liverpool as to the difficulty of
removing these people. There did not seem to be any
very general disposition to send them away, while means
did not exist for their relief in Ireland. The Govern-
ment however proposed to introduce a vagrancy Bill,
and when that Bill was introduced into the House it
would afford a fitting opportunity for the insertion of
any such clause in it.
IRISH PAUPERS.
Mr. SHAW wished toknow if the vast number of per-
sons returned as paupers coming fromlrelandwas not over-
stated, and if many of them were not persons who had
placed themselves on the list as paupers coming from
Ireland, when in reality they had been chargeable upon
a district in England for some time before.
Sir GEORGE GREY said, that upon inquiry the
returns would not seem to be rather overstated. About
60,000 persons arrived annually from Ireland into Bris-
tol and Liverpool. About 20,000 were emigrants to
America, and the other 40,000 were spread over the
country, end became in time entitled to relief.
Mr. NEWDEGATE had not intended to say one
word on this subject, but he could not allow the obser-
vations of the Hon. Member for Carlow to pass unno-
ticed. He could not help thinking that the lion. Mem-
ber had snatched an opportunity of making unjust and
severe reflections upon the Noble Lord the Member for
Lynn. After all the Members on that side of the House
had determined not to continue the discussion, according
to the suggestion of the Government, the debate had
been renewed by the Hon. Member, and an attack made
by him after it had been understood that the subject bad
been dropped, and yet be complained of attacks being
made upon the Government from that side of the House.
Mr. CARDWELL wished to remark upon one fact
connected with the observations of the Recorder for
Dublin. He had read a letter from a stipendiary magis-
trate in Liverpool, stating that in spite of the influx of
paupers there, there was no desire to remove them if
some provision was made for their sustenance. The in.
flux of paupers was at the rate of 2,000 per day, and in a
few days a fever hospital capable of containing 400
would be ready. That showed that some measures were
being adopted for the relief of these people. The pro-
positions made by several Hon. Members, applied rather
to the removal of a technical difficulty, which was, in
reality, met by the spirit of the existing law.
Mr. P. SCROPE despaired of the Government being
able to solve the problem which laid before them, as to
the means of putting an end to the terrible state of
things which existed in Ireland, unless a sus-
pension of party attacks were made. The time of
the Government could not be occupied in answering
these attacks, instead of attending to the business before
the House.
Mr. GROGAN said that the Government had in-
formed the House that a Bill for mendicancy and
vagrancy was about to be introduced, but he hoped that
the House, in considering it, would not pass such a
measure as would throw the support of the poor of a
whole district upon a particular locality. He wished to
call the attention of the House to the charges brought
against that side of the House of unnecessarily attack-
ing the Government. It must be borne in mind that
twice in that day the subject had originated from the
other side of the House. If the Government could not
control their own friends how could they expect to go
on undisturbed? He had observed that a great number
of officers had been appointed upon Relief Committees
in Ireland, and he wished to know how they were to
be paid ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the vagrancy Bill had
been prepared, but it would require a great deal of at-
tention on the part of the Government, and was likely
to require a great deal of consideration from the House.
The Bill would be shortly introduced, and if any Gen
th man could suggest any plan for the better preserva-
tion of the public peace he would be happy to give it
every attention. With regard to the preservation of the
public tranquillity, the accounts which were received
showed that there was no great cause for fear upon that
head. Ile did not doubt that every gentleman connected
with Ireland would assist the Government ine the pre-
servation of public tranquillity.—(Hear.)
Mr. CALLAGHAN said that he wished to say a few
words before going into Committee, for it was rarely the
opportunity a as afforded to them of saying something.—
(Laughter.) There were very general complaints in
Ireland of the neglect of the Government in not pro.
vidiug seed for the land. In many instances the po-
tatoes kept for seed had rotted, or had been consumed
by the people, who were therefore wholly without seed.
Mr. BELLEW said, he thought there should be but
one feeling on the present occasion, and that to unite
for the carrying out of those measures which would be
most advantazeous to the country.
Sir 11. BROOKE said, he hoped that her Majesty's
Government would not supply the landlords of Ireland
with .see.l, for he thought that they should put their
hands in their own pockets on an occasion like the
present. He thought that her Majesty's Government
had done as much as they had a right to do.
Mr. DILLON BROWNE said he thought that there
would ba greater distress next year in consequence of a
little money nut having been expended in supplying the
people with seed in an emergency like the present. He
had received several communications from Mayo, deny-
ing the statements that had been made in that House as
to the disinclination of the people in that quarter to cul-
tivate the land. The majority of the people had nut
seed to do so—the landlords would not give, and the
Government, under the circumstances, should do so.
Sir WALTER JAMES said, under the very difficult
circumstances in which her Majesty's Government had
been placed, he did think it to be his duty to state his
opinion that as far as every effort and energy went all
had been done to alleviate the famishing poor of Ire-
land.—(Hear, hear.) He thought that it would have
been right for other Hon. Members as well as the Noble
Lord at the head of her Majesty's Government to say
that every effort had been made to relieve tho poor of
Ireland. 'rho Hon. Gentleman who had last spoken had
accused the landlords of Ireland of not having supplied
the, people with seed, but if they would look at some
correspondence that had taken place on this question he
might view the question in a different light. He held
in his hand a letter from a Mr. Mahon, who had offered
to supply his tenantry with seed, which they refused to
take. He must say that these circumstances were quite
sufficient to give a colour to the charges which Hon.
Gentlemen had brought forward. He was very sorry
to have been induced to prevent the House going into
Committee.