The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

eltenittS

LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 9 , 1847.

PRIVY COUNCIL.

Lord LANSDOWNE, Lord PALMERSTON, Lord
AUCKLAND, and other Ministersleft town, about nine
o'clock this morning, to attend the QUEEN'S Privy
Council, at Osborne House, appointed to be held this
afternoon, for the purpose of taking into consideration
the subject of a general fast in consequence of the
prevailing famine.

The Ministers started from the Vauxhall station
by a special train of the South-Western Railway,
and another special train has been ordered at Gosport
this afternoon, in order to reconvey the Ministers
from the Isle of Wight to town.

The Lords met at Five o'clock.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Glasgow,
complaining of the influx of Irish paupers. His Lord-
ship took the occasion of stating to the House how little
the Irish landlords had done for the relief of the existing
distress. Some of the wealthy barristers of Dublin,
whose tenantry were employed on public works, did not
even answer the application which was made to them to
subscribe for the relief of the existing distress; and a
wealthy dignitary of the Church, who received 4501 a
year from land in the county of Cork, contributed the
munificent sum of 1/.

The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL and the Marquis of Lox •
DONDERRY complained of these attacks upon the Irish
landlords, who were burdened with marriage settlements
and various other obligations.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Hull,,
praying for an alteration in the criminal law.
In answer to Lord STANLEY, it was stated by Earl
GREY that the pnnisbment of transportation would not
be abolished; it would continue to be the same precisely
as it was at present, with but one difference, namely, the
place where one part of the sentence should be endured•
The penal labour would be inflicted in this country under
the immediate observation of the Government, where
they would control and check the abuses which took
place, but the convict would be discharged in Australia,
under the same control as he was placed by the present
system. This, he imagined, could be effected without an
Act of Parliament.
Lord BROUGHAM denied that it could.

Lord CAMPBELL considered that all that the Govern.
ment proposed to do might be effected without an Aci
of Parliament.

A desultory conversation ensued, which was put an
end to by
The LORD CDANCELLOR moving that a Select Com-
mittee be appointed to inquire into the execution of the
criminal law with respect to transportatian, and espe•
chilly with respect to juvenile offenders ; which was
agreed to. •

The Labouring Poor (Ireland) Bill was (after certain
amendments had been agreed to) read a third time and
passed, and their Lordships adjourned.

The Commons met at Four o'clock.

Mr. T. BUNCOMBE gave notice that, after Easter, he
would move a resolution pledging the House to the
repeal of the rate-paying clauses of the Reform Act.
Mr. HumE gave notice of a motion to refer the Irish
Miscellaneous Estimates to a Select Committee.

On the motion that the House go into Committee on
the Landed Property (Ireland) Bill,
Mr. ROEBUCK moved a resolution to the effect that
any plans of relief for the distress of the Irish poor,
by means of loans to the owners of property in Ireland,
would be unjust and impolitic, unless accompanied by a
system of taxation which would subject such property
to .the burdens already imposed upon all property
throughout Great Britain.
Sir B. HALL seconded the motion.

Mr. LABOUCHERE was not prepared to deny, as a
general principle, that Ireland ought to be taxed like this
country, but he thought it would be a singular resolution
for the House to come to at this period, when the distress
in Ireland was unexampled. He could not, therefore,
support the proposition.
After a few words from lir. SHAW,

Mr. J. O'CoNNELL said he was for tax:n; those who
left Ireland, but not those who remained, and did their
duty as resident gentry.
Mr. BAILLIE was opposed to giving out-door relief to
the able-bodied labourer.
Mr. HUME supported the motion.

jiir ROBERT PEEL did not consider this a fitting occa-
sion to enter on the discussion of the question. He did
not object to the abstract principle, but the difficulties of
Ireland were not to be met by a resolution of this kind.
Lord JOHN Russ Eta. had on previous occasions stated
the objections which existed to the imposition of an
income-tax on Ireland. He thought great credit was due
to the Irish people for the reiignation and patience with
which they had borne their afflictions.
Mr. SMITH o'l3amx considered that the Hon. Member
for Bcth had done more for the cause of repeal that
evening than the Young Ireland party bad done in many
months.

After a few words from Mr. CALLAGHAN,
Lord GEORGE BENTINCE expressed his regret that
the amount of money to be advanced to the landed
proprietors of Ireland was not even larger than had
been proposed.
Mr. B. Escorr thought the time had come when
equal taxation should take place.
Mr. M. Mxi.NEs did not think the present a fitting
time for imposing a poor-law upon Ireland.
Mr. MUNTZ would have supported the motion had it
been a substantial one, but as it led to nothing, he could
not support it.
After a few observations from several Hon. Members,
the House divided, when the numbers were—

For the original motion
For the amendment

Majority 95
The House then went into Committee ; the whole of
the clauses were agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be
reported on Wednesday next.
The other orders having been disposed of, the House
adjourned at Two o'clock.

Lively and humorous ai was the speech d elivered
yesterday evening by the Hon. Gentleman the
Member for Bath, we are gratified that the pro-
position which it embodied received such an imme-
diate and decided negative. As the Right Hon.
Baronet, the late Premier, observed towards the
close of the discussion, although the question put by
Mr. Roiancx. was of the highest importance, this
was most assuredly not the fittest moment for its con-
sideration. To describe the gist of the proposal in
plain language, it amounts to a demand that a rigid
system of taxation should be imposed upon Ireland
in the very midst ,of the crisis by which its
fortunes have been rendered• insolvent. The effect
of this extraordinary and ill-timed motion