The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-22 00:00:00

pine aye
mißtit he suffering under the severest calmnity
that thecolld he inflicted on the ccuntry. He trusted
u""oity whieh they had acted on !hi,
tisfiltli 1r occasion would carry with it a degree of Fa-
hit
re, millet' would tend to alleviate tlna ry, to
firiell they had acted.
re'llNr ART rose, but was for some time inaudible.
,nduct of the commercial Minister of France in
of a;llsPension of the navigation laws had been worthy
4%4 before'rai e and yet, although the example had long
fellow the eyes of the Government, they did not
it until three or four months after the necessity
izs occurred. He had been one of those Nlem-
trade who bad supported the principles of free
cord; „irolo the first in that llouse, und he was
tet,hi'tir'elYLPl,eased to find that the Hon. Member for Dor-
zioia,.act voted for a temporary suspension of the,.
co
ins tlon laws. As an advocate for a total repeal of
t ercial restrictions, he preferred that plan to a
lefusseorary suspension. He only regretted that her
that total
Ministers had not come to a resolution for
total repeal ;and he thought the same obser-
vatio_
Sin " might be applied to the navigation laws.
th:e'6wever, the Government would not consent
4441 repeal, however much he regretted it, he would
`scent to the temporary measure. There were no old
ilvwiations to justify the retention cf the navigation
vel., !. They only took their rise inhe reign of Hen
he nd were confirmed in the time of Charles IL, and,
uetteved, simply in consequence of our connection with
atnuteh at that time. Ile repeated 'hat he would much
Nather If the Ministry had for temporary suspension
,ebstituted that temporary suspension of those laws, yet
he did not wish to disturb the unanimity of the debate.
But he could not help observing that labour in this.
country could never be sufficiently rewarded until
they did
Ile away with the restrictions on external commerce.
41e should vote for the measure before the Howe.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
Hot, however sensible of the force of the position of the
n• Member who had just sat down, he trusted that
the nature of the circumstances which were to be
brought under review of the Committee proposed,
and which had led to the motion for that Commitn e,
would prevent anything like dissension in the debate.
,en October last the belief was, that corn had been raised
in price from being kept back for speculative purposes.
As soon as the determination of the Government was
known not to suspend the corn-laws prices fell, and
about the latter end of October large arrivals of grain
took place from foreign parts. We were then told, on
good authority, by gentlemen intimately acquainted
with the corn trade, that there was every probability of
large arrivals in a short time. Even at a more recent
date it was stated to us that the number of vessels in
America taking in grain as cargoes was very
large indeed. lie held in his hand a letter from
a entlema nin Liverpool, dated the 1-ttli of January,
which stated,that according to the last arrivals from
the United States there were at New York, loading with
grain for Great Britain and Ireland, thirty-seven vessels
of 25,000 tons burden. There was loading at the same
time at New Orleans 33 vessels of 19,000 tons; and in
addition to this, there had cleared out from
Liverpool twentyemnetnevreicsase, which would no doubtls of 17,000 ton's, with
general cargoes for America,
return to this country
with corn. These amounted
nearly to 70 vessels, which would at least bring corn ;
and at that time there was no reasonable apprehension
that large supplies for
.th e consumption of the country
would not be forthcoming before the navigation closed.
But it would appear that the merchants had been disap-
Pointed in the supplies which they had anticipated. It
would appear, however, that within the last two or three
weeks the imports have considerably increased, but this
was the time when the spring trade fell off, and when
there was a greater demand on the part of the
shipowners fit freights. The suspension of the naviga-
tion laws would enable the ships of all nations
to enter into the business of importing ft2hoed fornaativitgon of
this coun-
try as soon as the navigation opened. T
Odessa opened in March; the navigation of America opened
about the same time; and it was with a view of ensur-
ja, g early supplies as soon as the trade is opened that
the Government proposed to suspend the navigation laws.
It must be remembered that they had received as yet
none of the Indian corn of the crop of 1846, and he
believed that .he whole of the crop of 1845 had been
brought to this country. The crop of 1846 was not
ready for exportation till last December, and be be-
that lie
Newvd that in a very short time some ofi
Would be on its way to this country. From
Orleans he expected some ships to arrive in a few weeks,n_
but from the northern states he feared that little could
expected
till the navigation be open. When this
Period arrived the measures which were now proposed
d
greatly accelerate the supplies. He considere
that the information which the Government re-
ceived °P to October last was quite sufficient
to warrant them in taking such a course. He was very
anxious to take that oortunity of stating the course
which the Government pursued with regard to sending
corn to Ireland--therep had been so muchmisappre-
hensionPrevailing in the House, and there had
8°
many mis-statements made last night on
poen ints with respect to which it was so essential
thpuartsuethdere should be no mistake. He hoped the
House would excuse him if he briefly detailed the course
the in renpl:htaot occasion. It would be remembered
that at the close of last session an announcement was
questions put to the Government, that
trretl should not undertake to interfere with
inva-
riable in Ireland. This was the answer inva-
AriaY even to the queries made on that subject.
u while he adopted such a course, he did not mean to
disapprove of the course which the late Government
whPetned under different circumstances last year.
tierce the question had been put to them from
the "ants in different parts of the country, this was
reply returned, and he continued to believe in the
prudence of such a course, as a partial interference by
eGovernment would have completely paralysed the
shops of individuals. Private enterprise afforded a
'aorger supply than any exertion it was
pe,esarible that a Government could make. When-
eould it was likely that any private enterprise
Meet not provide a supply of corn, the Govern-
forfar as
as they were able, established depots
and y sale of corn, and they had come into the market,
rho only limit they put upon the merchants em-
ployed was that they should not allow the Government to
woultidr as purchasers ; for if they had done so, an injury
counts have been inflicted upon the poor of the
ealesteel,hyer,efotrhathn in they should remember that distress existed
Ireland; for if the Government had
of foor unwisely, they would have raised the price
The a uPen those who were maintaining themselves.
n__ mount of corn imported was sufficient to feed
half. .ro s persons period of four months and a
.ztl.aherefore, that private enterprisee had not
serious].ey to undeurtrrit all that could be
which
the hadt w
attendedou would
b e
the highest
Market price, they had always been madeadabteen made by
had be ce' A
en
at Litneri k Government
person of the name of Russell, who
employed as the agent of the
corn
Which h ee , bad always given the highest prices
ae been •
quantity of given in the English markets. The
had been le' exported from Ireland to England
°f the th 48
than in any preceding years. The average
ee three years preceding the last had been 3,000,000
I:7Zarters. In the last it had only amounted to
1,30 e °°o quarters, being less than the preceding by
into e,OOO quarters. The quantity of foreign corn imported
Inlreland was only 500,000 quarters ; that, however
ade
land cillet°lY, represented the quantity sent from
.Eng-t.
fi of English and foreign corn. Great quantities o
Coe flour had been kept for home consumption, while the
;erser had been sent to Ireland, the quantity of which
as very considerable. In the beginning of September he
received a letter from a person at Liverpool, stating
there
were thirty-three vessels waiting at Liverpool,
_t, receive cargoes for Ireland. One great evil was
the deficiency of mill-power in Ireland. The Govern-
ment, had loft all the mills in Ireland for private use,
andhad employed mills at Plymouth, at Portsmouth, at
•uevonport, and at Rotherhithe; they bad been kept
constantly at work, and their produce in Indian
corn-meal and barley-meal bad been sent to Ire-
'end- Depots had also been established in the
western districts of Ireland. There were nine
depots established last year. In the present year
their number amounted to 26, some of which were
situated to the east of the Shannon, the most northern
tart of Ireland, and Kinsale, on the south. There
were some of them in Sligo, in Mayo, in Galway,
in Limerick, and in numerous other places.
With regard to other supplies of food, by the estab-
lishment of depots and other measures, it did, not appear,
as some Hon. Gentlemen would have the House to sup-
pose, that the poorer population of Ireland had been en-
tirely neglected; he thought it appeared that measures
had been taken, at the proper time, sufficient at least
to prove that the supply of food had not been inadequate.
But it was undoubtedly true that those depots had only
recently been opened. When they had a larger mass of
people to supply with food considerable reserve was re-
quired in the furnishing of those supplies. Some of those
depots had never been opened, others had been partially
opened in the course of the autumn, as, for instance, the
depots in Galway, in Westmeath, and in Sligo,
and other places. They found, in many
cases, in proporibn as the Government gave ex-
pectations of relief, that the persons in the locality
relied no longer on their own resources. He
held in his hand an extract from a journal published
in Castletown, which stated that distress had greatly
increased, because the Government intended to place a
depot there, and the people were willing to depend
upon the relief afforded by it. The Government cal-
culated upon a supply of provisions in the country
till Christmas, and then they were prepared to afford,
with certain restrictions, relief from the depots. A time
Was coming when the people of Ireland would have to
sustain themselves with food not grown by themselves,
but purchased by dealers, and therefore Govern-
ment had been particularly anxious to facilitate the
establishment of small dealers throughout the country.
In many places, however, they could not succeed in
establishing these small dealers ; and here they had
been compelled to open detains to supply the large num-
uer of
- men engaged on the relief works with food.
Government had been told that they had taken no steps
whatever to relieve the aged infirm out of the workhouse
or,, at all events, that the relief must have been afforded
recently, for that within the last few days they were in
Ireland, and had heard nothing of it. This complaint,
however, was unfounded, and it would be founcl from a
report that had just been received from Ireland, and
which would shortly be laid before the House, that
ample means had been furnished to the relief
committees to enable them to supply food
to the aged and infirm who could not be
accommodated in the workhouses. It would
!)e seen, too, that • the relief commissariat
It instructed each committee to confine their supplies to
such mode of relief until the pressure became severe in
other quarters. One of these reports was dated eo later
than Dec. 3, while another from Skibbereen, dated Dr c.
21, stated that a large measure of relief had been dealt
tele that
aged and i poor of district.
out to.
The Right Hon. Gentlemannfirm then went 912 to read ex-

tracts from various letters to show that the Government
had left nothing urelotie to provide food for the Irish
people by the es!abiieline tit of soup-kitchens arid the
re-ening or steres. -Eighty live tons of wheat had been
distributed in Skibbert en in a very short time.
He believed that the same statement might be
made in reference to other phices ; and when te
statement of the Government was laid beforhe
the House they would find that the Noble Lord
was quite inaccurate in the statements, and that food
was given to the poor to a considerable extent in the
very district to which allusion had been made.—(Vicar,
hear.) He hoped the landlords of Ireland would
now exert themselves in their own localities without
dep:nding upon the exertions of Government
at the present most momentous crisis, for it
was impossible for Government to meet efficiently
all the distress which unfortunately prevailed in
that country. They were ready to give liberal
support and assistance towards meeting the present
disastrous circumstances of the country; but he must
repeat again that the whole onus should not be thrown
upon them. That it would be possible to preserve
the whole population of Ireland from starvation, lie
was sorry to say that he was not very sanguine.
But by due exertion :on the part of the landlords
they might in a great measure avert future distress, as
well as that which existed at press nt in Ireland.
Mr. HUME must say that a great deal of time
hid been wasted by not having produced these
papers at first—he must say that there was
great neglect in their not having produced them before.
Ile must also say that he had seldom been more disap-
pointed by what had taken place, but he hoped that
they were to have the trade thrown open. The country
expected this from the Noble Lord, and that he would
not permit the past state el things to continue, and no
longer adhere to that absurd system of opening the trade
when the ports of Europe were closed against them.
He would remind the Noble Lord that, if he refused to
maintain those navigation laws, he would immediately
deprive the colonies, unless he at the same time gave
them free trade, of the only protection which they enjoyed.
An American now erjoyed the advantage of one dollar
per load, so that it was better for a West Indian colonist
to buy for four dollars in New York than three at Mon-
treal. So that, unless they took off the duty on ships,
they could never carry out the principle of free trade,
and it would be a high injustice to the colonists,
unless they allowed them to trade freely with all the
world, unless they gave them free trade. If the Noble
Lord was wise he would take off the duty from timber
and all the other articles, en the commerce in which
restrictions were laid. If the Noble Lord would grant
him a Committee he would engage to prove that
this was a national benefit. If the Noble Lord
would refer to the evidence taken before the
Committee in 1840, and would look at Mr. John Young's
evidence, ho would find that that gentleman there
showed what a disadvantage it was to impose a duty on
timber. He proved that at Rite Janeiro there were 150
ships, and that out of those 100 were British vessels
overloaded with the expense at which they had been built,
and yet struggling to obtain a share of the trade,
in order that they might remunerate their owners.
He, therefore, came to the conclusion, that if the
duty on timber had not existed the whole of
the carrying business of that port would have fallen
into the hands _of British subjects. If, again, in the
evidence taken in 1840, the Noble Lord: refers to Mr.
Mitchell's testimony, he would find that that gentleman
stated himself to be a shipowner, an importer
of timber, and a builder of ships ; but so great
were the impediments thrown in his way that
he had to pay 40 to 50 per cent. for the timber imported
into this country, and for that which he could
get elsewhere. He had consequently built a num-
ber of ships in Sweden. The ships were British
ships although they bore Swedish names, and
traded to British ports, were owned by British
subjects, and commanded by British captains. The fact
was, that Mr. Mitchell paid only eight pounds a ton
abroad for his timber, whereas in England he had to
pay twelve pounds. He trusted, therefore, that the Noble
Lord would take this subject into consideration, for if he
did, and relieved the trade of the duty which was now
imposed upon it, he (Mr. Hume) felt assured that Eng-
land would become the manufactory of ships for all the
world, as it was for other articles, and thus the principles
of free trade would be carried out in the comprehensive
manner which they deserved, and which would prove a
lasting benefit to the country. If they had this,
they should have no longer to hear the com-
plaints of famine, of which, during the present
week, so much bad been said in that House.
They had only to look at the state of the colonies to see
the injurious operation of the navigation laws. He had
no hesitation in saying, that had these laws been repealed
five months ago, they would have had very large
supplies of food. These were the grounds on
which he considered the Government had not proved
themselves equal to the emergency. In order to effect a
proper settlement of all these difficulties, they ought to
have gone to the root of the evil at once.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL—Sir, the Hon. Gentleman
expresses himself dissatisfied with the policy of
the Government. In the explanation of that policy
which I have made I stated my desire that,
in the present circumstances of the country and the
dearth of provisions, the measures which her Ma.
jesty's Government were desirous of undertaking to
relieve the evil should be such as would command, if
possible, the general support of the House.—(Hear,
hear.) But the Hon. Gentleman objects to the course
we have taken, because we are not prepared
to introduce three separate measures of legislation.
The first is, the total and unconditional repeal of the
corn-laws. He finds fault with us because we are not
prepared to rescind the arrangement of last year—a
course which, if undertaken by the Government, would,
no doubt, excite the opposition of the Noble Lord oppo-
site (Lord G. Bentinck), and we should have to fight the
battle of last year over again. The Hon. Gentleman,
in the second place, complains that we do not propose
the entire abrogation of the navigation laws—a course
which if taken by us would most likely induce the oppo-
sition of the Hon. Member for the University of Ox-
ford (Sir R. H. Inglis). —(Hear, hear.) And then he
states that these would be of no use unless they were
accompanied by a repeal of the timber duties.—(Hear.)
Our ships, he tells us, are at present, compared with
foreign vessels, placed at a disadvantage of 50 per cent.,
and that the timber duties should be repealed in order
to enable them to compete freely with other nations in
commercial transactions. It may be right policy
to repeal these duties, but to do so the
Honourable Gentleman must be prepared for
a considerable reduction of revenue, and
the substitution of another tax in order to meet the
deficiency. In undertaking measures of relief to meet
the present emergency, therefore, I am not prepared to
propose three great measures, every one of which
would, no doubt, meet with violent opposition from
Honourable Members in this House.—(Loud cheers.)
Colonel CONNOLLY was sorry to find the Chancellor
of the Exchequer labouring under the impression to
which he had given utterance with respect to Ireland.
A great portion of the county he represented was in a
most awful state of destitution. Language could not
describe it. He himself sent 3,0001. to Liverpool, to
purchase food for Donegal, and though he did not wish to
say anything derogatory to the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, he was bound to say that the information he
received was strangely at variance with the facts. He
could not describe the destitution which prevailed from
the bay of Donegal to Derry, and it was absurd
to talk of relaying it by the ordinary operations of
trade. There were neither mills nor factories, nor great
traders nor small traders, throughout the whole extent
of the country, and the other night he adduced that as
a' proof of the ignorance of the Commissary-General.
The intensity of the destitution was such that the seller
could obtain any prices he pleased for pro
visions, and, under such circumstances, to talk of
the ordinary operations of trade was absurd. Knowing
these facts, and seeing with his own eyes the horrible
wretchedness which prevailed, he could not con-
sider himself as acting justly by his constituents
if he did not state them to the House.
lie hoped the House would do him the honour of be-
lieving him, for he only stated that to which he was a
witness. The principle of providence was carried so
far,they twhearte npue
rmmbietr o
tts d
to t' the
enjoypeotphlee
pwroeuvlids
osnt as r
which
e
th the
Government had stored up.—(Elear, hear.) lie
could not help praising the foresight of the
Government, but he did consider that this principle
might be carried too far. He said these things with
very great pain, for he would not by any means desire
to embarrass the Government. But these things were
facts these were truths ; and it would be cul-
pable in him to go forth from that House
without stating them, particalarly after hearing
the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He
gave the Government credit for the best intentions, but
their officers had been always in the habit of repre-
senting that the destitution was not really
so extensive as it was represented to be. Why,
it had increased to an amazing degree since
it first began. The people had now to pay three times
the price which they bad before. He would beg leave
to refer the House to the statement of Mr. Foster, a
Quaker, who resided in Norwich, for the truth of his
allegation. He had instituted the most generous system
of relief that haul been devised.
• The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was at
a loss to know to what portion of his speech the Hon.
and Gallant Member had referred. He had stated in
his speech that the Government had established a num-
ber of depots, and that their exertions had been greater
than was generally supposed to have been taken.
iColonel CONNOLLY said it was quite true that the
depots had been established, but no distribution of food
had taken place up to this very date. There was a
dbueptont otina Smliogroseluopfoneo hr
oi s
honedm f ens:de tiets awt lay taob egthse,
mhTuhthes the
ople.
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could
only repeat what he had said before—that the depot at
Sligo had been.open sluice the latter end of the autumn.
Colonel CONNOLLY—The depot had been open, it
was true, but only for the purpose of sending corn to
othernot
a morsel
eoprostesl. Corn r thi
assd'ashelen consumed
from
he
before
mt depothe s
ai
d h
at
that
Sligoat
to Donegal; but he repeated what
.nsumed by the poor of
Sligo
m r
.o
Gr itsß neighbourhood.ATr A N —f
the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer were right in his assertion, then he (Colonel
Connolly) would have a right of alction against the
that
s
relief
dtheto
distress, in
oansumlias consequencess tneosd‘feferke of
Honourable Member, for it was
he
er
theesmoney
being informed that no corn hail been the
depOt at Sligo. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
seemed to have taken considerable pains in quotingqtl"
from a large number of documents, which seemed to him
ought to have fallen to the province of the
Right
Hon*
Home Department,
the Secretary of State for the
or at least notice should have been given to the
House that such a course was about to be adopted.
They were told that 3,700,000 quarters of wheat had
been brought into England up to the 313 t December

it:ilei

meni

TRE SUN, LON'DON, FRIDAY FiV EN IN 6, JANUARY 22,

the Right Hon the Chancellor of the Exchequer said
November, but he would give him the benefit of the 31
lostdays,
int h
and hee
interval v rsi iisi
nv
oe st had
im
pbeen
of what the Government soeant to do, hut the)
did complain that they did not that which they ought to
do. They ought to copy the example of an illustrious
individual whom they were very fond of copying, he
meant the King of the French. Ile had bought corn to
distribute throughout the country, but the Ministry ef
this bountry had bought it only to place it in
their depots. He would just mention the life
led by an Irish gentleman at this period In the
morning the house was surrounded by a number of
persons, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, who presented
their tin pans at the dour, and they received the
broken meats that could be spared them. Another
batch came at dinner time, and soup was served
out to them. Such were the miseries which
prevailed in the country, and he hoped that
means would scon be taken to remedy them.
The state of the country demanded their utile, st exer
tions iu order to remove every obstacle to the introduc-
tion of food. The 4s. duty was one obstacle, end he
hoped that with regard to that, and all other im-
pediments, there would be a perfect unanimity and
co-operation between them, in order, as quickly as
possible, to relieve the wants of a suffering country.
Mr. P. SCROPE would readily give h:s support to
the proposal, but looking at the strong precautionary
measures that had generally been adopted in many ',arts
of Ireland, it was somewhat surprning that so much
do stitution and so many deaths had occurred in that
country.—(Hear, hear.) Skibbereen exhibited a frightful
picture of disease and suffering, while in many less ex-
tei sive places they heard of people dying by fives and
tens of thousands, and yet all this had occurred
in the face of the large precautionary measures which
were said to have been taken by the Government.—
(Hear.) With such precautionary measures before theta,
he confessed he thought the prediction of, the Hon.
Gentleman who had just resumed his seat still more
strange.—(Hear.) Ile entertained strong feelings upon
the subject. With a country like this, presided over
by a Government possessing such enormous power
—with such immense resources at its disposal—
considering the minuteness of the territory over which
they presided, and the facilities they had of communi-
cating from one place to another, he could not under-
stand how, after these precautionary measures
had been fully brought into operation, it csuld
be at all reasonable to expect, or how any person could
look forward to a large number of individuals dying
of famine in any part of Ireland.—(Hear, hear.)
He regretted that the agencies established by the
Government in Ireland had failed in many instances, on
account of the imperfect organization which the Govern-
ment had adopted for the purpose of dispensing relief
to the people. The Noble Lord (Lord .1. Russell) had
stated that the Government had been unable to obtain
sufficient information to enable them to dispense relief
in the proper districts, and in proper quantities, but he
apprehended if they had acted more in unison
with the local authorities, that a more equitable and
desirable dispensation could have been made, and much
of the suffering and death that had taken place ob-
viated. He called upon the Government to redeem the
pledge they had made—that their first duty
was to see that the people did not die from starva-
tion. By fulfilling their pledge, the anticipations
of the Right Honourable Gentleman the Chancellor
of the Exchequer that they might apprehend more
deaths from starvation would not be realised.
Mr. PHILIPS—He would make peace with the
Hon. Gentlemen at the other side of the House, if they
would send 100,0001. worth of corn to the country.
Mr. BRIGHT wished to 'mow whether these laws
were made to have reference to vessels laden with corn,
because he understood that as far as the United States
were concerned the insurances would be affected.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Corn
might be imported in vessels for home use free of duty.
Mr. BRIGHT—The Right Hon. Gentleman did not
seem to understand him (Mr. Bright). It was not a
question of duty. It was whether or not certain
vessels would be admitted into the ports. For
instance, would a vessel from Holland or the United
States be admitted into the Mersey, and be allowed to
discharge her cargo there.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—She
would be allowed to discharge.
Mr. ROEBUCK.—WouId vessels laden with cotton
and corn be admitted into the ports?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—
A ship would be. admitted to discharge her cargo only
with respect to corn.
Mr. BRIGHT was quite satisfied that unless the sus-
pension were to be carried out to its full extent, the
measure would be of consperatively little service. It is
the opinion of those who are connected with the
shipping interest, that so far as the United
States at least are concerned, that the charge would
be next to useless. When he saw them sending
large sums every week from the imperial Treasury
and that the Archbishop was directed to offer up prayers
for the aversion of famine, it did seem unwise to stop
short in the matter, and not carry out the measure to the
utmost extent.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the measure was founded upen the Bill of 1817,
when a set of circumstances existed similar to
those which were now experienced ; and be repeated
that corn might be imported in any vessel, from any coun-
try free of duty, and that corn also warehoused in this
country might be taken out of bond without paying
the duty.
Mr. BRIGHT did not know why they should adhere
to the old law at all, for when making so great a change
it was not worth while, when making this alteration, to
be restrained by such usages.
Mr. M. PHILLIPS did not recollect the circum-
stances of 1817, but he felt quite satisfied that unless
the suspension of the navigation laws was made to
affect all the articles imported, it would be next to use-
less, and that ships would be beating about for
freight just as much as they had been of late
He was persuaded that, notwithstanding the strong ex-
pressions of feeling made in Ireland against this
country, they would do all they could for the relief
of the country. He knew the difficulties the Govern •
ment had to contend with, because they were not
foreseen. Even so late as the first of October last, the
prices which ruled gave no indication that a
scarcity was likely to occur. At that time
in the Midland counties wheat was 18s. the
bag of three bushels. He thought that if the
Government had interfered earlier great mischief would
have ensued, and the freights and prices would
have risen much higher than they had done.
It was not for him to make any suggestions to the Noble
Lord in anticipation of the measures which he intended
to bring forward for Ireland. One thing, however,
he would observe that in whatever mode or shape
it was proposed to afford relief it would be desirable
that the largest amount of seed should be sowed
that may be required by the wants of the people.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished to observe, in reference to
the remarks of the lion. Member for Durham, that the Go-
vernment, in proposing the suspension of the laws, had the
various difficulties he suggested under their consideration.
They had acted on the precedent of 1817. It would be diffi-
cult to adopt the course suggested without an evasion of the
Navigation laws ; or to make a measure that would enable
them to ascertain whether the conditions referred to were ful-
filled or not. These difficulties induced him to adhere to the
precedent of 1817 ; but if any method of obviating the diffi-
culty were pointed out he would give it his best consideration.
Mr. ROEBUCK considered that the navigation laws
should be entirely done away ; their great object was to have
vessels for the transport of corn, lower the rate of freightage,
and that object would be obtained, and they had no right to
limit it to corn alone.
Mr. T, BARING said that if he understood the meaning of
the Member for Bath it was that the navigation laws should
be entirely suspended. Now, if that principle were admitted,
the American t,a cargoes would come into competition with
the English. The Noble Lord had shown the difficulties of
transporting mixed cargoes ; there was perfect truth in what
he stated ; but lie believed that these measures would be very
inoperative, and he would not consent to them save to show
the sympathy which he felt for Ireland ; and he could assure
the Right Hon. Gentleman, if he proposed a general repeal
of the navigation laws he would have to submit to a strong -
monstrance from the commercial bodies in the country, andre to
some opposition in that House.
Sir. BRIGHT was not quite sure that the Hon. Member
for Huntingdon (Mr. Baring) was quite so good an authority
upon great political questions, although he was the
representative of the largest mercantile house in the
world. His productions upon the question of the repeal
of the Corn-laws had been proved by experience
to be fallacious.
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK thought it would require
some assurance on the part of the Hon. Member to charge his
Hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon with ignorance upon
the subject of which he was speaking. The Hon. Member
might have recollected, that at every meeting of the Anti-Corn.
law League, he had assured the people that the effect of the
repeal of the corn-laws would be to give a large loaf and cheap
bread to the people—( Cheers from the Opposition benches)—
and also to increase the exports of the country. When they
ng
hi_i
ignorance
heardrhhaonerect h
re
time,s
ntthtiaean tedphtretrehtdcaajoitenuttlni
the
ey oe
exports
Lancasterport
s o f 5
the
Wcomunil tl sr
yw
hade re wf
fallen
eko-
eHhoene .r
al‘gl e. b evvr
With
hr
reference
off five millions in the face of their free-trade and corn-laws
)
yansrewqhuiireedh
hegbreaadtmaassduer.a—nc(eßefaorewtehde
rrhenanicet°to cthhaer gwe a
rhiigs a
tHi
ooan
aFriend e withw as
prepared to support her Majesty's Government, provided the
suspension was restricted to corn alone • but he could not sup-
port the proposition for their suspension
as regarded all other
articles. The navigation-laws involved a great political and
national question. He had always predicted that free-trade in
corn would only be the precursor of a demand for free-trade in
everything else.—( Cheers, and counter cheers.) He took
occasion to tell the shipping interest, when they joined in the
agitation for the repeal of the corn-laws, that such would he
the consequence, and that the shipping interest would be the
next to come. He would not, however, avenge the cause of
the agricultural interest by lending his hand to the repeal of
the navigation laws. He had not forgotten that there was a
time when the Dutch had the whole carrying trade of the
world, and in consequence of their great marine, they were
enabled to lead their " Van Tromp " with a broom at the
mast
shouldhead, to sweep the Thames of British commerce. He
resist to the uttermost any attempt to repeal the navi-
gation laws, and to allow the cotton of Manchester (for that
for Durhm
was the object of the on •
the cheaMember
pest rate.a )to be
brought
—(Hear,
home in any ships at
navigation l
Coupled with the aws, he agreed in the
ld have been better to have sus-
opinion that it wou inc e. still he could
her notgome time
pended them s e
upon the conduct of Majastree
ey's
in any strong censure up
believe there was a man in the country
Ministers. He did not ie .
h.
August last, in is heart believed that
who, upon the 3d
of h
as the present
emn impending on the
there was any calamity such
d Ministers for not
tatoe
famifone.e, r con
country. He would nßegarding the suspension
• r
having foreseen this g
would not refuse content to the
of the 4s. duty. though heobe
distinctly understood that
measure, he begged it to wouldste would enable the
he did not believe that the
consumer to get his corn
one farthing cheaper.
Government because
,u
Neither would he censure
the h
they had delayed the suspension of the duty, th,.
g
with the clamour and
he regretted that they had been led away
s He did not
to change their inten ion ..
the cry from without 1 or rotection question,
look at the matter as an agriculture
the Chancellor of the
but he could not help thinking that
dowith
out the duty at
Exchequer was not so full-handed as to
look at what passed only
present raised from grain. Let them

not trust himself to characterise the ;oil':
beggars, Ae who "sated that they were. The greatest blame
duct of the Mgt.() the conduct of the Chancellor of the Exche-
was attribute. -I that meal should be sold at the rate of Id. per
quer, who stat, -ession had thrown the people of Ireland off
'was now more t
pound. The exp. than double that price.
their guard, and meat
of the EXCHEQUER denied having
The CHANCELLOt. of the kind.
made use of any expression
-ated his assertion. He carried
Mr. B. OSBORNE reite.
..so eternal memento of the reek-
the speech about with him,
ine'de use of by the Members of
less nature of the expressions
the Government.
The resolution was then agretd to.
The SPEAKER having resumed ,`l3e chair, the resolution was
reported, and a Bill ordered to be bro.nght in founded thereon.
On the motion of Mr. FRENCH, a 'eturn was ordered of
" the extraordinary presentment sessions he'd in each barony,
half-barony, county of a city, or county of a town in Ireland,
under the provisions of the Act of 9 and 10 Victoria, cap. 107,
specifying. the date on which each such presentment sessions
were held, the amount presented thereat, and the amount ap-
proved and sanctioned in each case respectively; also the date
on which public works, in pursuance of such Act, were- com-
menced in each district. Also, a return of the expense in-
curred under the said Act in respect of the officers, surveyors;
and assistants employed by the Commissioners of Publie Works
in Ireland in each such barony, half barony, county of a city,
or county of a town respectively. Also a list of -the different
works undertaken in each such barony, half-barony, county of
a city, or county of a town, left unfinished by reason of the
amount presented for such works having been expended."
Mr. OSBORNE moved for a return of the valuation of each
electoral division in Ireland, with population in 1841, as also
a return of all correspondence between the Bo:rd of Works in
Dublin. and the Treasury with Mr. Smith, of Deanston, rela-
tive to his taking charge of a system of " Thorough Drainage"
in Ireland; and, also a return of all correspondence between
Colonel Knox Gore, lieutenant of county Sligo, and her
Majesty's Ministers, relative to the famine in Ireland, dated
August 6th andCO 7thST OFIB IRISH whieh wereREL agree lEFd to.
Mr. HUME wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether he was prepared to lay on the table an account of the
amount of money expended in the relief of distress in Ireland,
and what establishments for the management of the relief had
been formed ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he
was anxious to get the account made out up to the last mo-
ment, and he could not then tell when he should be able to lay
it on the table.
Mr. B. ESCOTT wished to ask the Right Honourable
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) if he understood him cor-
rectly, when he stated in his speech this evening that all the
Indian corn received up to the Dreamt time in this country
was the crop of 1845, and that they had as yet received no
ortion of the crop of 1846. If so, it was a most consolatory

yesterday in the city of London. He held then in his hard a , herself assayed the ascent, anti was told by the good genii at
circular issued by one of the most eminent brokers in the the foot of the monntain, that if she meant to achieve the
•ountry. It Was published by dir. Osborne end sari, sod summit, she must go straight forward, and nei,her turn In the
.list the effeet of the joeit eights' proceedings was to right hand nor the left. If the Noble Lord followed this ex-
lepress bailey anti malt, is, ehiels there were sear rely any ample, anti listened to suggestions neither from that side nor
vranseeth ns, while bonded corn had risen in price to the the other, .be would not have to return to the old system of
extent of the retitle ion in duty. It stated further, that in hanging or impF
Llrisonmatent —(Ch
commeneerneers.)ent of his address, spoke
grain generally consi,lerable business was done, while grain in Mr. DISRA the
Isom( had risen from 'Js. to 3s. a quarter. This was a in so low a tone, that many of his words were inaudible in the
prcof that every farthing of the reduction would go gallery, but proceeded to say, that in the difficult circumstances
into the pockets of the corn factors. The complaint in which he had been placed he was sure they would not quarrel
he had against her Majesty's Government was, that with him for thinking
nto that the
present combination of events hascould un-
they hail too strong a feeling for the corn merchants, expectedly put th their position. No one
and had therefore proposed the suspension of the deny that that was a position attained by no factious endeavours
duty in their favour.—( Hear, hear.) Assuming that four of their own, and that it was surrounded by so many
ri t, obstac
woulld
es,
millions of quarters of wheat would be imported during the that no man of common honour, or of generous spi
next twelve months, the effect would be that the revenue endeavour to impede their progress by any needless opposition.
would lose 800,000/., while no good would be done to the con- The only thought which his Noble Friend, the Noble Lord, the
sumer, he would receive his food at no reduced prices.—( Hear, present leader of the opposition, with those who acted with
hear.) It was his opinion, that had the old law been retained him, entertained was, that the measure now proposed should
the Government would have been far different to what it is have been taken at an earlier period. The question, there•
now, as it would then have, since the Ist of April last, received fore, before the House was, not whether these measures were in
in duty 1,300,0001. instead of 6011,0001., which might have themselves desirable, hut ehether the Government could have
been applied to meet the wants of the people of Ireland, and shown more discretion, prudence, and enterprise, and whether
we would now have hail in bond three millions of quarters these measures should not have been sooner proposed to the
which could have been purchased for that purpose. The duty House. Ile eesuld recall to the recollection of lion. bensMems
before was never less than 10s., eud the sum raised would the conduct of the great Convervative oppositien who d
have been to keep crawls prices, end the Government could en those (the Opposition) benches during the long period
have so arranged that not one man in Ireland need have died when they had been absent from power. Dring the ten d
of searvation• (Hear, hear.) The present Govern- years not a phrase had been expresser, not a yentence ha
however, were not to blame fur the change been uttered which had not been duly weiehed long before it
the law, hut they were to blame fur net was delivered. He would out say anything of the hypocrisy,
Oerferino to psseses she exportations of grain as he might style it, or of the factious contteet whishs
ho f a ob-
Jrorn Ireland, and in adhering so closely to their free 'wined the support of some of the
present supporter d the
trade doetrines,_(ll,ar, hear.) By a paler which he held Government, and he could not sufficiently admire that entire
in his }land, it appeared tbat during the last eleven months. absence of party feeling which characterised the speech of the
while the imports of grain into Ireland bad been 450,000 Noble Lord who load proposed the measure now under the con-
quarters, the exports were 1,70;e000, being a balance of ex- sideration of the House. That. speech had about it that which
ports of nearlyl,3l,o,ooo.—( Heer, hear.) became the conduct of a statesman—( Hear, hear)—and
The CHANCELLOR of 'the EXCHEQUER said the do- had it not been for the injudicious observations em-
eument rsfe-led to took no account, of the English grain inn- bodied in the remarks of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
ported into Ireland, but only that from foreign countries. he firmly believed that no discussion whatever would have
Lord G. BENTINCK was sure the Chancellor of the Ex- arisen, and that no cavil whatever would have been made upon
chequer would find that what had been stated was substantially the accession of the present Government to power, but that
correct, and that the balance of grain exported frooin Ireland their proceedings would have been most acceptable to the
into this kingdo n was 1,300,000 quarters. If the Government whole public of the United Kingdom. But whatever the ob-
had prohibited the exportation of this food, it would have sup- sections might be to the polio), of the Noble Lord, no charge
ported two and a half million of persons till the next harvest.— could be brought against the prudence of the designs and time
( Hear, hear.) The Governmeut had likewise committed a disinterestedness of the views of those by whom he was as
great mistake in stating that all the countries in the world had slated ; nor would :ny objection be offered upon the part of
bee.n ransacked for grain. They seemed to forget that the his lion. Friend, or tfose acting with him in the present exi-
messaee of the President of the United States, delivered gency. The Honourable Member for Beth had inter-
on the Bth of December last in which Mr. Polk stated posed in this debate a tirade on the violent gesticulation and
in his message, that in home market it was totally impossible to ,he modulation of voice with which his Hon. Friend had
dispose of the immense supplies, even at reduced prices. The stated his opinions, The only desire which his Noble Friend
provisions could not be consumed in the country. They were oad expressed was, that these measures had not been proposed
able not only to feed the people of their own land, but to sup- at an earlier period, so that they might not have interfered
ply floe deficiencies of the whole world. They had also been with the commercial transactions of the country. The Hon.
furnished with an official state of the crops in the year 1845 Member for Lancashire had intimated a doubt as to the pro.-
issued by the Board of Trade, at Washington, the documents Bence of the course which was now pursued, and had expressed
of which were generally as correct as those produced in this a belief that a total abrogation of time navigation laws would
country, and it represented the total produce of the United have been better than a temporary suspension of their in-
States in that sear to be 776,601),000 bushels of corn and grain Licence. He would merely put it to the House, whether, if
of all sorts, being equal to 97,000,000 of quarters. An amount this temporary suspension had occurred, the scarcity at
as stated by the Government paper at Washington, that ex- Antioch and pressure at Bombay, would not have been obviated.
ceeded by many tens of millions of bushels, the consumption of The Hon. and Learned Member for Bath, who seemed so
the United States. The yield of the present year had been critical on the modulation of the voice or the acting of others,
much greater than 1845, so that there was little danger and who himself exhibited on every occasion training and me-
of prices rising much higher than they were now, thod both in mind and voice ; the Hon. and Learned Member
and it would only be necessary for the Govern- for Batb, so classical in his concepting, so happy in his ex-
ment to furnish with larger depots for food, so as to pressions, so temperate in all that he conceived, so gentle-
keep down the prices. A friend, who had just been in Ire- manlike in all that he uttered, whose criticising of a secretary
land, informed him, ' that even at the present time, the stacks of state affirmed that he wanted aptitude of expression, who
of the farmers were than they usually were at this period of the censured a leader of the Opposition because his voice did not
year, anti that they were holding back for higher prices. He meet or agree with his own musical gammut ; the
did think that the great mistake of the Government consisted Honourab,e and Learned Member for Bath, who had always
in following out the doctrines of political economy, and not evincadananxiousimpatience,particularly in the present session,
taking measures to keep d iwn prices in Ireland.—(Hear.) t
lose uo opportunity of expressing his opinion as if he felt
They had doubtless many of them heard of the proceedings of that there
the Eastern monarch, Ali Shah, one of the greatest, wisest,was some impending dissolution near at hand which
rendered it necossarp that not another moment should be lost
as well as one of the most mischievous monarchs that had ever
:hn astonishing the empire with the brilliancy of his sarcasm,
ruled. His proceedings were more commendable than the e power of his criticisms, or the force of his argumentative
policy of the present Government. It was said that a great
i ngentnty, who had this session indirectly informed them that
pestilence devastated Persia, followed by a famine, in which h ewas the critic, par excellence, of the House, and who never
men, women, and children, died in numbers. Complaints los
t an for giving them some specimens of his criti-
were made to the Shah that the rich merchants refused to sell cal
ability, had that night replied to the epilogue of his Noble '
their grain, though the people were perishing. The Shah said, Friend
"These men have done well in keeping a supply of corn by a quotation from the "Arabian Nights." The
golden point of his Noble Friend might not have pleased the Hon. and
Nadi: Schah then made a proclamation that 10,000
tomauns should be the reward of that good man who Learned Member for Bath ; but then the teat he applied to the
should
point of his. Noble Friend possessed no point at all. It was not
produce the largest supply of food. Many claims were sent in, thatithe epilogue of his Noble Friend did not contain any. A
but an Armenian gained the prize, for he had greater store
egrTtaiet authoritylat hadh toldb them that a bad author made a good
than any one else. He thought the people cried out, and men
agootlitadn,,dietxhcctimieents rule as applied to
and women and children asked for food—dying in the streets, literature, but might
reita
erhetesto.tpoli-
he refused to sell—saying, "prices will yet rise." The Schah tics he was at present at a lossp to decide.' At all events,
ordered his treasurer to go to the treasury and bring 10,000 allowed that a bad prophet made a good political' lcriwtiaes
tomauns, that the Armenian might be paid. He said, when while a little philosopher might ultimately turn into,
they were brought, " Sit down, my friend, and count over thy e monarchical politician. Perhaps the one saying was
gold." The corn merchant, having counted over his gold a corruption of the other. When the Hon. and Learned
tomauns, said, " They are all right." It is told that then Member for Bath again indulged them with an exhibition of
Nadir Schah frowned on him, and, turning to his chief execu- his critical powers, it would be well for him to recollect that
tioner, said, " Lay hands on him, and take him forth—tie others might be critics as well as those who were the objects
the 10,000 tomauns to his feet, and hang him to the highest of his sarcasm, and when the modulation of the voice, the
gate of the city of Bocharem—that all Persia may see that exquisite temper of the character, the sweetness of the silvery
t
Nadir Schah does justice to such as take advantage of a judg-
ones, or the softness of manner, were admitted to be legiti-
ment of God." That was the course, but in a milder form mate subjects of parliamentary discussion, the Hon. and
which had he been one of her Majesty's Ministers, he would Learned Gentleman opened up a field of animadversion upon
adopt towards the forestallers and regraters, and other political himself which he for one had no wish to pursue, and which he
economists in Ireland, who held out to get large prices from rusted, for the decorum of their debates, the Hon. and
the starving children of Ireland.—(Loud cheers.) He would Learned Gentleman would not in future prosecute.—(Hear,
have recourse to that milder expedient by the enter- hear.)
prise of sending large supplies to compete with Mr. B. ESCOT had listened with great pleasure to the
the existing prices of corn by the dealers. So that the people second speech of the Noble Lord, because in that speech he
of 1 reland should have the opportunity of purchasing corn at did not pretend to say that the measures he now proposed
something nearer a proper price, than of purchasing it, as it were the best that could possibly be proposed, nor did he ven-
was known they were, at 95. per bushel for corn which cost the tare to say that those measures ought not to have been brought
importer not 4s. Had her Majesty's Government pursued earlier before the Legislature, but he did say, truly, that the
this course, as sure he felt that they should not now have had measures he proposed were the only measures which, under ex-
to lament the distress, and starvation, and death in many isting circumstances, he could possibly carry out.—(Hear.)
parts of Ireland, the people of which were starving as much He regretted exceedingly that the measures had not been
from want of provisions as from want of money to buy them earlier proposed, but still he was bound to admit, that no
with. He was not going to offer any opposition to her Ma- others could be brought forward now. He had heard the
jetty's Government, but he could not support the measure Noble Lord the Member for Lynn and others protest against
without protesting that he for one was not of opinion that there these measures some short time back, because they were public
would be any result from it, save that of putting into the Llelusions, but, strange to say, the Noble Lord now supported
pockets of the corn merchants, and more especially into the them on the self-same ground, namely, that they were public
pockets of foreigners, to whom he grudged it still more than he lelusions. Ile did not miderstard this mode of
did to the merchants themselves, the amount of the difference reasoning, nor did he understand what was meant by the speech
of duty ; and although he supported it, he was not to be held of the Hon. Member for Huntingdon. That Hon. Member
responsible for i'is consequences, anti if he had it in his power, had said that he did not approve of the measures because they
he for one would have maintained the high duty, and offered would benefit the consumer. The Hon. 'Member, however,
that duty so levied to the maintenance and subsistence of the admitted that the people were in distress, and urged upon the
people of Ireland.--( Cheers.) House to do something to alleviate it. What was this but ad-
Mr. BROWNE said, in rising for the first time in the vocating measures for the benefit of the consumers. The
House of Commons, he felt naturally diffident, and he had not
Leiodoble
.Lord. (Lord John Russell) had been blamed for *not in-
intended to speak at all, but that he had heard such arguments r tieing tnoso measures earlier, but as the famine had pro-
from the Noble Lord who had just sat down, that he could not , ressed towards time close of last session,' he thought the House
help noticing them. The Noble Lord had related an Eastern and 4 not the Government were to blame for the delay.
11,3 had heard an Honourable Gentleman (late Chancellor of
tale ; he would tell a story to match it. At
the
time of the
Emperor Julian, the city of Antioch was in t e same positiont the Exchequer and Member for Cambridge), make the asser-
as Ireland was at present, and in order to relieve it and
rhell!'inln- non he had done. Was he right in thinking that that Hon.
habitants, its ports were thrown open to all vessels. Gentleman had said that the ports ought to have been opened
in August last? Why, that lion. Gentleman was one of the
peror Julian, among others, contributed largely from the-
that those great obstacles to opening the ports. In November,
public purse, and the consequence was
compelled to
vessels which brought in corn were 1845, his Noble Friend the First Lord of the
Treasury was ready to open the ports, and he had
sell their goods at the reduced prices,
corn under any cir-and therefore neither
written a letter, for which he could never be
they nor the farmers would bring in their
too much commended, to that effect.—( Hear,
cumstances,
,and the city of Antioch was very nearly starved..
thought that that Noble Lord (J Russell) had underrated
What, another case in Bombay? They had
the
stock of rice to
last them for sixteen months at a time that
dpeopie were it, his powers when he supposed that he would not be able to
for day's and
the
a. carry out the principles which he then propounded, and he
a state of starvation. The Council deliberate
thought, that if he had attempted to do so, he would have
days, and at length took the stepanxious
• sets. After an succeeded.--e fear, hear.) But they were all aware, that
home, and opening their ports to all ses
of keeping all corn t
when it was desired to adopt the policy of the Noble Lord,
fidence that all d
calculation,' it was determined that it would be best to permit
that when' the Hon. Member for T
the corn to go out, as it was wanted, in the worth wanted to
an
•the same effect,and the Noble Lordam (J. Russell) was
carry .
ships going to India would look in to see if confidence
was sup-
his ' • by his •
Dods there. ready to give him assistance influence and support,
plied, and finding a demand, would tell their good
the Plon Gentleman, the Chancellorof
hiparty, were ready to oppose them on every point. —(Hear,
the Exchequer, and
When it was known across the country, numerous vessels en-
tered the port, and having inquired the p hear, from the Ministerial benches.) But now, when the
uasituweessssuoren othneitrhehan
da
fair, disposed of their cargoes of corn. PHA had _ r ices,
danodot findingbateteldietmo
Hon. GentlemattLftoutnhdett.ehawt
atsheurleoroe•abs
Go-
have addressed the House on that occasions
and
could cHoneveniently transact, it was unjust to accuse
paid him
had but having done
agreed with his Hon. Friend the Member
so, he thanked them for the attention they
Sir C. NAPIER, who was very vernrisent,
than thfey
l
r that they should forget what was passed. As
gallery, said that, in his opinion, to make use oftente
veryxl
imperfecheea,rrtels.siniottihoet
bane of forthe Tioanteihe
easyt-e.
the Noble Lord's, the navigation laws were h
if the naviga- the ~
the shipping interests, and he felt satisfied,
waiLfmuliloygprteopaaureodthteor
pdaortalolf thatthe
toi uldodutiser
dismiss
introduced into the discussion,
tion laws were totally and entirely abolished,that
mucht
the present mo- hieadwnoow toldmthset m altogether. The Noble Lord (Russell)
prise would take place than was going more
Parliamententer-
s noi• odulu allowaludbsmto
s thatay h
tihhmea.
t he thought there haul been
merit. They would see that the seam:n
ft
Government would question, he
~,,,
asut
smthilassuibffieerintgos
tend
d the
a binsesohpelle ofof
corn
I
Did not . the Honourable Member for Is ern
get more protection, better paid, and the
ohahis coutry would
they were in the
etooouultirttl
build much better ships than those
habit of building at the present rnernen't',bilf I did not exist.
• anon aws know country. Did
it •
it were once known
of exactly the sameamountthoef coPreno?Ple
throughout the world that the navig
It of
was thisthe
to Ireland Without depriving
d off the coast
emPloYe °
He wondered whether the Noble Lord was aware that from
country
50,000 to 60,000 British seamen were
ct operation of these ereatest blunder '
of America in consequence of the indireiaw
3 were altogether sufaim the world to suppose that the
country had people of this
laws. In his opinion, if the Navigation-
er aisle to cope with
westerny parts
of
Ecient corn. He believed that many of the
abolished, they would not find any
P"lect to America? It t. egland were dependent upon potatoes for
them. What had they done with respith America were far destroyed.support. Now, three-thirds of that species of food had been
was found that the ships sent to trade
test°
this country and
inferior to the American ships broughhe
merchants were set enactthe part of a great forestaller himself, buy corn to 1 ge
what was done? All the energies of t
; lendid steam-beats amount,their and send it out of the country to Ireland. lac
to work, and they constructed those P
between England and l endeavours had been to procure more corn, and their
which now carried on the entire trade_.oh_t.
I Lord, with all his
allpo icy recommended by the Noble Lord would
their endeavours. render nugatory
America. He was surprised that the N
t, instead of opposing Under these circnmstances he would
boldness, did not think proper to sugees
nding by an order imi support the motion. '
free trade in corn, did not suggest snaps Lord GEORGE BENTINCK hoped
Council the navigation laws. in some doubt with spirit of vituperation that there was no
in any part of the speech he had addressed
been
Mr. ROEBUCK said that he ha
Noble Lord that after- to the House, for such was far from his intention.— Hear)
regard to the meaning of the i`"
her for Bath, seemed to He stated that if he had had his way, he would have prevented(
noon, who, in speaking of the Meern e
d of the subject on which the late Government from carrying their measure on the corn-
throw some doubt upon his knosystl g
ekaw the attention of the law, and the consequence would have been that when wheat
he had spoken. He would ju
f hat the Noble Lord first said. was 455. a quarter, the grain would have remained in bond
House to the construction °f he believed that the measure and an opportunity would thus be afforded Government
of
The Noble Lord had said that
lie
sal,ported it. That was hi: using a large quantity. And he also stated, that if this grain
would be mischievous, and Yet lie
believed it to be mischievous, had beers purchased and sent to Ireland, it would
' He said he have pre-
first proposition. price of corn to the people of vented all the calamities that had occurred there. He denied,
lower the
because it would notwould
go into the hands of the fore- as had been stated by an Honourable Gentleman, that
Ireland, but the moue} would
whom
he went on to say he would he had accused her Majesty's Government of murder.'
stallers and regraters, to
if he were empowered, what Nadir All he had said was that her Majesty's Government
a milder forul,
do in Shah hanged the Armenian with ten thou had come into office through the instrumentality of his
Shah did. Nadir feet, on a high gibbet. He sup- (Lord George BentinclOs) party, and float he believed that
tomauns at his _., e
sand golden .
istration of the Noble infliction, the the present state of circumstances was induced by the late
posed, in the admin
somewhat
lower, and rtes ten thousand measure, and that the present Government would not be able
gibbet would be
Le at the feet of the met, but ~some- to get rid of their meal and other provisions. He believed
tomauns would not e
The Noble Lord ventured in
his sta.,e. that he had now exonerated himself from the charge that had
where else. the measure of last y was. been made
thatupon him.--(llear, hear.)
merit to say it increased the price - ear
Mr. ESCOTT '
mischievous, because L
dhe did not • of corn, Lord _
_, offered a few words in explanation.
oble or , oppose it as a Bill. J. RUSSELL quite agreed it the statement of his
and yet, said the N
t the Noble Lord did Hon. Friend
(Mr. Escott). He agreed also in the opinion of
He was convinced tha not know what he
lie had a copy of the return the Noble Lord ; but he confessed that he was rather surprised
said after he once sat down
duty levied
the
which had been made of
It was headed
on corn during several at the position he had assumed, having so many commercial
months of the last year.
between a return of the aye- men attached to his party. He was rather surprised at his
levied on corn the 25th of June of Noble Friend's doctrines, because he thought he was making
rage of the duty hof January, and he -
the 14t would just read it progress in commercial knowledge.—(Hear, and laughter).
last year, and
of the Noble Lord opnos•t a 1
for the edification
return, ti • le, --rils some of his and that particularly after the panegyric he had passed on
friends. He found by that._ that under the Act passed certain Hon. Members of this House.—( Continued laughter.)
the dut during June was 45. It was quite unnecessary for him (Lord John Russell) to take
last session,a quarter, and
under the old law It would }save been 18s. In July it would any further notice_ of the speech of the Noble Lord, because
have been 51.,
65.,
and while
Au under the old law it would his Hon. Friend, the Member for Lancashire, had given
have been 18a to 19s. Il w
itgust it was 75., Bs., and 10s, it an ample reply, and here he would beg to say
while under the old a. would have been '2os. In that he was glad that they had obtained such a
n 10s
Septemeer, ~ 10,, and 9a., while under the old law it would
d 20s. In October it valuable accession to their wisdom as they had
)er was .$5., 75., 55., 45., received through that gentleman.—( Hear. ) He would ven-
'have been 20, , 205., an
law '
and 45., while under the old . it would have been 20s, sirLi ture to move that, after the discussion, the chairman should
161. In November it was 4s, 45., and 45., whileunder the report the resolutions to the House, and that the Bill should
old law it would have been 15s-, 135., lgs.be read a first time and printed. Ile would move to-morrow
, and los. In De-
cember it was 45., 45., and 4s , while under the old l aw it that the standing orders should be suspended, and that the Bill
would have been 125., and 125., and 12s. Now he wondered should be carried through all its stages to-morrow.
what would have been the position of the country if the Noble After a few words from Mr. FINCH,
Lord who had presumed to come down and assume the office of The resolution was then agreed to.
The SPEAKEa having resume the chair,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if, after such a_ statement as
Mr. GREENE brought up the resolution, and leave was
he had made, any Member of the House of Commons had
given such an answer to his observationgiven to bring ila the Bill.
s as that which he
g The House then went into Committee on the
had
just read held in his
hand? He NAVIGATION LAWS.
trusted they were not coral( g back to the period when any man
Lord JOHN RUSSELL propesLedawas similar resolution for
who followed an honest trade was liable to be
any merchant was to endure hanging, for differingSentto prison,. or
i the suspension of the Navigatione
from the oe Laws.
seeine the temper
powers that be. Ile would like to know, if this , 1 Mr. HUME applauded t .
to be adopted, how it would further the Is principle were
of the Opposition, in determining to carry what h"e could, and
d'f elsuspension of the
country like this? Yet it was only clarosperity of a great
was satisfied therefore with the mo iit
mg the nail which a
Noble Lord had inserted, howev el.' Navigation Laws.
lightly it might Mrs B. OSBORNE. begged most emphatically to deny the
tend to induce other countries to follow ourhad been cast upon the con-
example.justice of any imputations which .
.bld.
It only reminded him '
of chess, and one of them was so long of two players
duct of the Irish landlord., .
3 they were invariably re uctng their
t of cases, su setting the
in making the move
that his adversary fell asleep, who, when he establishments, and, in e__icnajori
repeatedy that ,MiniPslters should
his opponent with so much vehemence,
thate iawoke up, urged 1 people in their districts. H
comprehensive measures than those which
in desperation and lost the game, If the N'oeblmeaLde atheatmotre have adoted
more
i of Ireland by all the Members of that
head of the Treasury would take were cededt tfot
sympathy
his advice, he wouldor imitate peap
to the Irish people, The Government
the conduct of the damsel who sent her three brothers, accord- house
afraid of offending the two great classes of the country—
ing to the eastern tale, to scale a mountain, where they were were
eagariculturists and the ship-owners, or they would have elCmne
to sail by supernatural agencies, and shortly after their ascent t iebefore. He denied that the Irish nation were "a nation of
began, were turned into marble. The damsel on hearing this so

fact.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Yes • he
believed they had yet received no portion of the crop of
In ordinary years it was not exported, from America, before
the month of December, and he had every reason to believe
that they had yet received no portion of the crop of 1846.
The Corn Importation Bill, and the Navigation Act Sus-
pension Bill, were severally brought in, read a first time, and
ordered to be read a second time this day, it being understood
that both Bills would also this day be passed through their
other stages.
LIGHTING AND PAVING OF TOWNS.
Mr. AGLIONBY wished to know if it was the intention
of her Majesty's Government to introduce any Bills this session
for amending and consolidating the Acts relating to the sana-
tory condition of towns, viz., the Acts relating to police,
paving, lighting, and watching? If so, a knowledge of the cir-
cumstance would probably supersede the necessity of any pri-
vate individual bringing in a Bill on the subject.
Sir GEORGE GREY was happy to inform the Hon.
Member that measures of the kind referred to were in a for-
ward state of preparation, and he thought that in about ten
days they would be ready to be laid upon the table of the
House.
The House then adjourned at a Quarter-past Ten.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.

From the Votes and Proceedings of the Rouse of Commons.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21.
The following petitions for Railways were presented, and
the Bills ordered to be brought in :
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire (Supply of Surplus
Water to Manchester, Salford, and Stockport ).
London, Brighton, and South Coast (Kent Railway to Maid-
stone, Canterbury, and Tunbridge).

:.lynvi Valley Extension.
Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's (No. I—Extension to Tar

mouth).
North Staffordshire (Churnet Valley Line and Trent Valley
Railway Junction).
North Staffordshire (Alterations and Branches).

Yeovil, Bridport, and Exeter, with Branches.
Great Western (Extension of the Berks and Hants Railway
from Hungerford to Westbury, with a Branch to Devizes).
Great Western (Branches to Egham, Staines, Brentford, and

Twickenham).
Great Western (Branch to join the West London Railway,
Widening and Enlargement of West London railway, and
Branches to Hammersmith, and to join the London and
South-Western near Lambeth).
Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, and Glasgow, Paisley, Kil.
maruock, and Ayr (No. 4).
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr, and Glasgow and
Belfast Union (No. 1)
. . •

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, TIITTRSDAY.—Lord Marcus F. Hill, Cc•mptroller
4' her Majesty's Household, arrived at the Castle to-day from
own.

The Noble Lord had an audience of the Queen, And
presented to her Majesty the Address from the House of
Gomutons in answer to the Speech from the Throne.
The unfavourable state of the weather prevented her Ma-
jesty or the Royal Family taking their usual walking
exercise.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert enjoyed the sport of
shooting this morning. His Royal Highness was attended
by the Earl Spencer, Lord Alfred Paget, Major-General

Bowles, Mr. G. E. Anson, and Colonel Se}rnour.
The Royal dinner party at the Castle this evening_ will
include her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rent, Lady Fanny
Howard Lady in Waiting to her Royal Highness, the
Baroness de Speth, and the Earl Spencer.
The band of Ist Life Guards will attend during dinner.
Her Majesty's private band attend afterwards in the Castle.

The Lord President of the COuncil, attended by Mr. Kay
Shuttleworth, met Ittrllnjesty's Inspectors of Schools yeter-
day in the- Council Chamber, in order to communicate to
Ahem the instructions of the Committee of Council on Educa-
tion as to their ensuing tour of inspection.
Mr. Matthew Forger, MP., and Mr. Fowles, had an inter-
view with the Right lion. T. Milner Gibson yestt"rday, at
Cie Mike of the Board of Trade.
The l`•larchioness of Lansdowne arrived 'at Lansdowne
House, Berkeley-square, yesterday from Bowood Park, Wilts.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S—THURSDAY.
CHESTER Cur.
The appeara:,ce of the Handicap has not as yet Liven
much impulse to speculation; indeed in the early part
of the afternoon the conversation „turned solely on the
fact of the weights not having been declared in town until
Tuesday. The Manchester marker, at least so itisunder-
s ood thus oloa'n eg a day's f tart. The circumstance was
commented o r in rather strong terms, and it certainly is
to be regretted that the declarati,ns in town and country
were simultaneous. The Handicap is adtnimd to be a
good one, and it is supposed that there will be at least
one hundred acceptances; in the face of this, three horses
have already become great " pots;" i e., Camera Ob-
scura, Antler, and Erin-go-bragh, the advance of the
first two, we should add, having been the result of re-
peated offers to back them, and not of actual outlay.
One bet of 1,000 to 20 agst Erin-go-bragh was followed
by three or four at 1,000 to 30, 1,000 to 25 was laid agst
Newcourt, 1,000 to 20 agst Punch, 2,000 to 46 agst
Jinglepot, 2,000 to 40 agst Bedlam, 1,000 to 25, and
1,000 to 20 agst Pal, 1,000 to 15 two or three times agst
Emigrant, and a few other bets in small amounts ; the
prices at the close of a dull afternoon were as under:—
Even on the field agst 30
35 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Camera Obscura
30 co 1 agst Mr. Herbert's Antler-1000 to 30 taken
33 to 1 agst Mr. W. Scott's Erin-go-bragh
40 to 1 agst Capt. Pellet t's Newcourt
40 to 1 agst Mr. Gratwicke's Newcourt
40 to 1 agst Mr. Gratwicke's The Flitch
50 to 1 agst Mr. Dawson's Crim. Con.—taken
50 to 1 agst Mr. Collett's Pal—taken
• 50 to 1 agst Mr. J. Day's Bourton—taken
50 to 1 agst Mr. Wilson's Punch—taken
50 to 1 agst Mr. Williams's Jinglepot—taken
50 to 1 agat Mr. O'Brian's Bedlam—taken and aft. oft.
50 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Eryx—t. and aft. offered
66 to 1 agst Mr, Hutchinson's Emigrant—taken
66 to 1 agst Mr. Meiklam's Inheritress—taken
500 to 6 agst Mr. Mangle'sGolden Bee—taken
100 to 1 agst Mr. W. Scott's Sir Tatton Sykes—taken
METROPOEITAN HANDICAP.
The only bet to our knowledge was 33 to 1, to a very
small sum, agst the Marquis of Conyngham.
DERBY.
11 to 2 agst John Scott's lot
8 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Van Tromp—offered
1000 to 100 agst Mr. Bowes's Epirote—taken
1000 to 30 agst Mr. Gully's Allertonian—taken
1000 to 25 agst Mr. Mostyn's Projectile—taken
1000 to 20 agst Mr. O'Brien's Liberator—taken
1000 to 15 agst Mr. Bouverie's War Eagle—taken
The above were all the bets that came to our knowledge;
the backers of Epirote, Allartonian, the Liberator, and War
Eagle would have gone on.
The Leamington Steeple Chases are postponed until Wed-
nesday or Thursday next.

Fossth REMAINS OF MAN.—It has been generally
alleged by geologists that no fossils of the human species
have ever been found among the remains of other animals so
frequently turned up in their researches. But a Dr. Dicke-
son, of Philadelphia, has discovered a bone in the vicinity
of Natches, which the Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences pronounced to have been the bone of a man. Nat-
chez is a region which is said to abound with the relics of an
antediluvian era. It was found with other organic remains
in a stratum of tenacious blue clay that underlies the dilu-
vial drift east of Natchez, and in this diluvial drift the bones
of toe Megalonyx were discovered. In the record of the
meeting of the Philadelphia Academy, October 6th ultimo,
the United States 'Gazette find the following Dr.
Dickeson presented another relic of yet greater
interest, viz : the fossil os innominatum of the hu-
man subject, taken from the above-mentioned stra-
tum of blue clay, and about two feet below the skeletons
of the Megalonyx and other extinct genera of quadrupeds.
This ancient relic of our species is that of a young man about
16 years of age, as determined by its size and form, and by
the fact that the epihyses have separated from the tuberosity
of the ischium, and from the crista of ilium. Nearly all the
os pubis is wanting; the upper posterior part of the ilium is
broken away, and but half the acetabulum remains. That
this bone is strictly in the fossil state is manifest from its
physical characters, in which it accords in every respect
of colour, density, &c. &c., with -those of the Megalonyx
and other associated bones. That it could not have drifted
into the position in which it was found is manifest frikin
several facts. I.* That the plateau of the blue clay is not
appreciably acted on by those causes that produce
ravines in the superincumbent diluvial. 2. That the human
bone was found at least two feet below three associated
skeletons of the Megalonyx, all which, judging from the op-
position of proximity of their several parts, had been quietly
deposited in this locality, independently of any active cur-
rent or other displacing power; and lastly, because there
was no admixture of diluvial drift with the blue clay, which
latter retains its homogeneous charac:er equally in the higher -
part, that furnished the extinct quadrupeds, and in its lower
part, that contained the remains of man. Dr. Dickeson has
announced hie intention of returning, at an early period of
the present autumn, to resume his explorations in this pro-
lific and most interesting locality; and it is earnestly hoped
that his researches may lead to a further elucidation of this
important question in science."—New York Evining Post.
Tun ELECTRO-MAGNETIC TELEGIIAPH.—III the
report of the proceedings in the Vice-Chancellor's Court, in
the case of an injunction applied for by the Electric Telegraph
Company against Messrs. Nott, who have obtained a patent
for what is termed the electro- magnetic telegraph, which ap-
peared in the papers a few da) s ago, there were some errors,
which it may be as well to set right, as they affect the very
gist of the claim to originality of invention of the defendants.
The telegraphic clock used by Messrs. Nett has a hand, similar
in appearance to the bands of common clocks which tell the
hour; this hand is longer on one side of the pivot or axle on
which it moves than on the other side. The longer aide
points to a circle of four alphabets which surrounds the dial
plate, and the shorter side to a circle of figures which is at a
short distance from the centre of the dial plate. The .hand
(or hands) moves with what is termed a dead-beat escape-
ment, the motive power being the electric fluid acting upon a
toothed wheel with pallets and stops, by which the utmost
regularity of movement is obtained. When the hand is to
be put in motion, a key, something similar to the key of a
pianoforte, is pressed, and the pressure removed when the
hand points to the letter necessary to spell a word, or to a
figure necessary to express a signal, as the ewe may require.
Thus words are spelled with unerring accuracy, and signals
pointed to without the possibility of a mistake. No
magnetic needles move on the dial-plate and by their de-
flections indicate the letters, or words, or signs, necessary
in the magnetic telegraph hitherto in use to form a
sentence. There is no alarum used, but a bell is used, the
number of strokes struck on which, indicates certain things
to be communicated from one station or terminus to
another. There is but one wire employed, and the cost
of the apparatus, batteries, &c., is not much more than half
the cost of the mode now in use. The great advan-
tages of this invention are, its simplicity, its accuracy,
the ease with which it is worked and understood, and the
almost impossibility of sustaining injury, unless from great
violence; there is no intricate mechanism, no springs or
weights, and only one wheel. It has been adopted between
Northampton and Bliswortb, where it answers admirably;
and it has been favourably reported on by Mr. Faraday and
Major Brandred, to the Admiralty; by Mr. Brande, and by
Professor Bachhoffner. This latter gentleman has intro-
duced it in a course of lectures at the Polytechnic Institution,
where the public can satisfy themselves of its merits by
actual inspection. It is also to be seen in operation at the
office of the patentees, No. 2, Boyal Exchange-buildings,
here the electric fluid traverses a mile of copper wire. It
is altogether a most important improvement on the rapidity
and accuracy of telegraphic correspondence. and a novelty
in the application of the principle of electric communication.
MELANCHOLY CASUALTY. About mid-day on
Wednesday se'nnight, James Duncan, formerly tenant at
Mains of Craichie, lost his life the Southesk. The parti-
culars, as we have learned, are as follow :—Duncan, with his
wife and children, had been residing at Audelyn with his
father, Mr. William Duncan, tenant there. He had, in the
morning, crossed the Esk to visit a neighbouring farmer
The river was in flood from the melting of the snow. The
deceased was returning to his father's house, and, to save a
circuitous road by a bridge, resolved to cross by a ford near
Audelyn. A person present warned him against trying the
ford, but he went into the water, and in a little lost his foot-
ing. The man present cried out, and deceased's father andt
mother, with his wife and other relatives, who were in sight,
ran to the water aide, and saw the unfortunate manea_ carried
down the stream more than 100 yards (his d
couldh render
water), crying for help, which none of t
no more. His body was found on the fell
him. At length he was carried below a sheet
left a widow and
about a mile down the river. He has
lUD HAIR DYErthe
aosurSit,
naenvder
fades
snootr
several children.—Montrese ReviLewl•Q
only. dye that really
require re-doing but as the THE ATRATILATOKY, OR
Botanic Water and Bear's Grease,—When the
acquires that unnatural. red or purple tint common to all
other dyes. asntshweerhsa hair !or all
wcso,
hair is becoming thin, and falling off, the only effectual
remedy besides shaving the head is the use of the two above-
named articles, applit d alternately—the botanic water to
cleanse the roots from scurf, and as a stimulant, and the
teeth New whenTo Tooth-Pick h-
usedP ic ku
thoroughly cleansing
greasecleaans asinngouribetswheere.n
the
ee
perusanild
down, and polishing the surface when used cross-ways. The
hair warranted never to come out. The Union and Triple
nwloinfigce‘aatnudr seen
ay,
Hair Brushes. The Double Anti'Pressure Nail Brush.
The Medium Shaving Brush. The Railway Strop and
Powder. The above new and elegant articles, in addition
to a very extensive assortment of beautiful perfumes, are
the sole manufactures and inventions of Messrs. Ross and
Sons, 119, and 120, Bishopsgate-street, London.
A JUDGES SUMMING Ul'..—" OFF, OFF, AND
AWAY."—Mr. Sergeant Adams, whose singularities and
eccentricities occasionally produce much merriment in the
court over which lie presides, heard a case yesterday -at the
Middlesex Sessions, in which a lad stole a piece of pudding
from an eatinghouse-keeper's in Clerkenwell. The evidence
having been gone through, the Learned Judge thus summed
up—" Gentlemen of the Jury, you have heard this case—off
goes the pudding—off goes the boy—off goes the woman;
she captures him bolting down a court, and here you have
the boy, pudding, and woman, before you; gentlemen, con-
sider your verdict." At the close of this lucid and satisfac-
tory address, the jury turned to each other in their box, and
were soon in deep consultation. The impatient Judge
" This
hastily exclaimed, " Good God, gentlemen, what are you
deliberating about? the case is clear enough. is
settled the poor jurymen at once, and turning round in
alarm they found the prisoner Guilty. His love of pudding
got first
pros-
pect of a whipping by the gaolers et the end of the
him a month's imprisonment, with the pleasant'
tortgiglat.

Glasgow, Paisley; Kilniarnock, and Ayr (No. 2).
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Mr (No. 4).
Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton Railway Acts Amendment
( Diversions of Line in the parishes of Blackburn and
Bolton-in-the-Moors).
Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction, and Chester
and Birkenhead Railway Purchase or Amalgamation.
Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction (Deviation
of Main Line and Chester Branch, &c.).
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire (Station at Sheffield
and Branch to the Sheffield Canal).
South-Eastern (North Kent and Bricklayers' Arms Junction).
South-Eastern (North Kent Line).
South-Eastern (Strood to Maidstone).
South-Eastern (Croydon and Broinley Branches).
South-Eastern (Maidstone to Chart).
Dundalk and Enniskillen.
, Direct London and Portsmouth.
CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS.
Mr. Speaker has appointedahe following Hon. Gentlemen
to be members of the General Committee of Elections for the
present session :—The Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, the Right
Hon. Fox Manic, Thomas Griliston Bucknall Estcourt,
, Esq, William Villiers Stuart, Esq., Joseph Brotherton, Esq.,
. and William Miles, Esq.