The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-25 00:00:00

SUGAR AND MOLASSES.

The Earl of STRADBROKE presented a petition
Trom the brewers of Bury St. Edmund's in favour of
abe measure for the admission of sugar and molasses
ditto breweries.

IRELAND.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition signed by
aline Peers of Ireland praying their Lordships to
-take into consideration ;he state of Ireland.
CORN-LAWS AND NAVIGATION SUSPENSION
BILLS.
The Earl of CLARENDON moved.s the second reading
F the Com-laws and Navigation ension Bills. The
2'l oble Lord entered into a brief statementr' the
uc causes
tich led her Majesty's Government to intorfod
itne asures. Great distress prevailed throughouetthre
%tot rld, and the prices everywhere were so much
on an equality, that the throwing off the
45.. duty which remained on the importation of foreign
coi to was a measure which the circumstances of the ge-
net 'al famine, and the great emergency which had arisen
in i'reland, rendered necessary. He deprecated the idea
that the duty would go into the pockets of the dealers
in
of it('')..p,; but,
. even allowing that some portion
rgo in that manner, it did not furnish a
suBitiZat‘__ ea:son why they should not try to alleviate
-with to enlarge the supplies.
their izajzi.r-tt! navigation laws, he would trouble
with a ricaricrtulatiat few observations. Vessels arrived
American% were
as
of grain at Marseilles. The
could p rc‘eure, and king
up all the ships they
freight WM, considerablthe consequence was the
apprehend Any great They did not
vcdoruaaieager affected, They
ataticsfarcetmioonvoafl
of these laws;, but they
jshinking that they had done all in
igste the evils that at present existed.their P"" to
Lord BROUGHAM would not, under the ciroure.
'
o.tances make further objection.
The Marquis of SALISBURY agreed with the Noble
lord opposite.
The Earl of MOUTCASIIEL said, as these measures
-w as not to be permanent, he should decidedly
give it his
support.
The Bills then went through Committee, and were read
,sat third time and passed.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he now rose
for the purpose of submitting to their Lordships the
xi:lotion of which he had given notice on a former occa-
;„gion, and in doing so he thought he should be wanting
SI respect both for their Lordships and of consideration
for the unfortunate country itself, if he were not
ac lay before their Lordships a full statement of
00 facts of the case. The Noble Lord then proceeded 1
epuu2vnt upon the magnitude of the calamity which

had befallen Ireland, and said he should read to their
Lordships a calculation which would show the immense
loss sustained this year in Ireland. Now, taking the
valuation of each acre of potatoes at 101, the total loss
shown to have been sustained in Ireland by the
late visitation amounted to 11,350,0001., while it was
shown with equal clearness in the oat crop, the loss
amounted to 4,660,000/, making a total deficit in the
ordinary supply of food to the amount of about 16,000,000
sterling. The conduct of the landlords of Ireland had
formed the subject of varied and strong opinions, but
although exceptions might be taken to some, yet, within
the last 10 years, there were others who had left no means
untried to ameliorate the condition of the country.
Fault had been found with them for allowing the popu-
lation to be dependent upon such an uncertain and low
description of food as potatoes ; but be thought this was
not the most opportune time to discuss that question.
It was as little appropriate as finding fault after a
calamitous fire with the sufferers, because their
building was not erected with marble or Portland stone.
If they had not been able by their own effort to ward
off so great a calamity, it was equally true that no
Government could prevent it. In considering this, the
nature of this question ought never to be
forgotten, that it was not a question of
money, but one of food—food for a nation,
which, whatever system might be adopted for
its distribution, could never have been created by any
Government, yet that was just the existing necessity.
But, supposing money could have remedied the evil, he
asked how much would have been necessary? Suppose
ten millions of money would have been sufficient.
But the money market was a market infinitely sensitive
to demand, so that the effect would have been, as soon as
the necessity of these ten millions had been heard of,
that the very next day other purchasers would have rushed
in, and the ten millions must have grown into 20 millions;
and then again, the increasing demands, and the in-
creased price of money, into forty millions. In fact,
a Government was the worst agriculturists and the
worst merchants and therefore increased obstacles
always lay in its way in the case of meeting
such an emergency. The Noble Lord aid he
would refer their Lordships shortly to the
measures which had been adopted by the -Government
at the beginning of last year, before speaking of mea-
sures which were now to be proposed to mitigate the
present evil. The Government at that time, when the
Labour•rate Act was passed, did not anticipate so great
a calamity as that which had fallen upon Ireland, and
therefore the measures they had proposed were merely
temporary, hoping they might have been able thereby to
bridge over the difficulty into another year. The prin-
ciple of that Act was to unite profitable employment
and poor relief, an object which was not by any means
easy to be obtained. It was contemplated at that time
to employ the poor only on work, which would prove to
be permanently useful, and this was effected to a cer-
tain extent, and so far the result was beneficial. But
a panic was stirred in the popular mind, fears and
dread of the impending calamity grew more pressing,
and from that time the beneficial employment of the
people failed.

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
LAW OF SETTLEMENT.

Mr. WADDINGTON presented a petition from the
board of guardians of the Petworth Union, praying for
the abolition of the law of settlement.
SUGAR IN BREWERIES.

The lIoN. MEMBER also presented a petition from the
licensed victuallers and brewers at Bury, praying that
the penalties on the use of molasses and sugars in
breweries and distilleries should not be exacted.
TEN HOURS' BILL.
_ _

Sir G. STRICKLAND presented a petition from
cotton spinners and others in Lancashire in favour of a
Ten Hours' Bill for young persons and children.
SUNDAY TRADING.

Mr. TUFNELL presented petitions from various
places against Sunday trading.
THE BRITISH ARMY IN INDIA.—ADVANCE-
MENT OF MONEYS.

Mr. WATSON presented a petition from an officer
(whose name we could not hear) in the Bengal army,
praying that certain moneys, which had been advanced
to the then Raja, and which sums were charged against
the principality of Oude, should be restored. The
petitioner had memoralized the members of the East
India House since the year 1817, but he was aware that
he had no legal claim against that company, and he
prayed therefore that the House would take the subject
into consideration, with a view of granting redress.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented petitions
from Cork, and other places in Ireland, and several
towns in England, praying that the Government would
take immediate and efficient measures to provide food
for the suffering people of Ireland.
CHINESE REVENUE.
Dr. BOWRING gave notice that upon an early day
he would move for a return of the revenues collected in
China, and also the different modes of regulating its col-
lection at Hong-Kong and other places in China.
GROWTH OF COTTON IN INDIA.
Mr. BRIGHT gave notice that he would, on Thursday
next, move for a Select Committee to inquire into the
growth of cotton in India, and the encouragement given
to it by the British Government.