The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-16 00:00:00

Mffrniit )Itlt

LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1847.

The Lords met at five o'clock.

In presenting a petition from the Protestant Dis-
.-enters•ot Birdrush, against the Government scheme of
National Education, Lord Baotrcuam said that there
was an unfounded prejudice raised against the measure,
which was one of a most tolerant character to all sects
of whatever religious persuasion.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE declared that nothing
could be more unfounded than many of the statements
contained in the petitions against the measure.
Lord STANLEY presented a petition from the High
Sheriff and Grand Jury of the County of Tipperary, ex-
pressing their alarm at the unprecedented sa!e of fire-arms
i❑ Ireland, and praying their Lordships to pass a law
to prevent evil-disposed persons from having fire-arms
in their possession. The Noble Lord also presented
petitions in favour of a gi,-neral scheme of Irish rail-
ways; and a third, in favour of a general scheme of
emigration. _ _ _

A desultory conversation ensued on the subject of
emigration as a means of draining off the surplus popu•
lation of Inland; in the course of which, Lord NIONT-
EAGLE complained of the very inaccurate manner in
which the census had been taken in Ireland.

The subject then dropped, and their Lordships
adjourned.

The Commons met at Feur o'clock.
In answer to a question from Lord GRANVILLE

SOMERSET,

Mr. MILNER Glnsos said that the report which ha,

last session been presented to the House, as the report
of the Select Committee on Railways, was merely the
draft report drawn up by the Chairman (Mr. MonnisoN).
The Right Hon. Gentleman moved the re-appointment of
the Committee, which was agreed to.
In answer to various questions, Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE
stated that the Khelat prize money was in course of dis-
tribution ; that the Ghuznee prize money was about to
be distributed ; and that the distribution of the Sinde
prize money awaited the decision of the Board of Con-
trol, which would be given shortly.
It was stated by Lord MORPETH,- in reply to Mr. C.
BERKELEY, that the Wellington statue was to be re-
moved.

The adjourned debate on the motion for going into
Committee on the Poor-law Relief Ireland Bill was then
resumed by Sir W. CLAY.
The House was subsequently addressed by Captain
JONES, Mr. VILLIERS STEWART, who complained that
his name had been attached to a resolution come
to by certain Irish Members against the Government
measures, without his authority ; Mr. HAMILTON, Mr.
JOHN O'CONNELL, who said, if he could get a repeal of
the Union, he would. take it immediately ; Lord CoUR
TEN AY, Sir DENHAM. NORREYS, IA ho was opposed to.
union rating ; Mr. VESEY, who denied that the land-
lords of Ireland, lad neglected their duty ; lima J
MANNERS, Mr. LAB3UCHERE, Mr. ROEBUCK, and seve
ral other 1-1... m. Members.

The 11:Juse then went into Committee on the Bill pro
firma., reported progress, and obtained leave to sit aari❑
un Uriday next.
The Drainage (Ireland) Bill was read a third time

and passed.
The Mutiny Bill was read a second time, and ordered
to be committed on Thursday.
The Poor Relief (No. 2) Bill was read a second time.
The Agricultural Tenants Right 13111, after a short
discussion, was postponed till Friday week.
The other orders of the day having been disposed of,
the House adjourned at One o'clock.

A comparison of the entreaties addressed to Lord
Join RUSSELL •by the deputation of 107, and of the
schemes of the Government for the relief of Ireland,
presents to us a spectacle more repulsive than any-
thing we can just now remember. Men could not
by possibility evince a greater degree of callousness
to the suffe dogs of their fellow, creatures than aid
these sixty-four Peers and these forty-three represen-
tatives. In the contrast of their resolutions and of
the acknowledged wretchedness which is now rife in
their afflicted cow.try, there is something absolutely
horrible. 'Hundreds of thousands of able-bodied men
would at this moment be in a state of hopeless desti-
tution. but for the lavish assistance of the Govern-
ment. But for that extraordinary assistance from
the Executive those hundreds of thousands of able-
bodied men, and the families dependent upon their
labour for sustenance, amounting to a frightful
aggregate very nearly approaching to 4,000,000
souls, would have to perish like rats in their
cabins. Upon the munificence of Government these
4,000,000 are subsisting. For the time being,
during the first paroxysms of hunger consequent
upon the existing dearth, the State advances man-
fully for the rescue of its children ; it takEs the whole
burden of their sorrows upon its shoulders ; it- opens
the veins its own vitality, and lets the blood by
which it subsists flow freely into the impoverished
system of the starving millions; it does everything
that a loving parent and a benignant guardian could
do to prevent the evil consequences which, but for its
gigantic and cordial exertions, would have been in-
evitable. It appropriates a magnificent grant of
10,000,0001. for the exclusive use of Ireland in her
present affliction. It has been so far from extorting
from the pockets of the Irish proprietary the contri-
butions which were, on the autbreak of the
calamity, most imperatively necessary for the
salvation of the lives of the peasantry, that it
actually undertakes to become the lender of additinnal
money to that roprietary, at the insignificant interest
of 31 per cent. It at i.blishes an enormous commis-
sariat throughout the island ; it accumulates corn in
the stores for a possible increase of the emergency ;
it awards a sum of 50,000/. for the purchase of seed
for the ensuing spring; it taxes all its combined
intellect, all its time, all its energy, all, its pecuniary
strength, all its moral and physical influence, to
conquer the dread Demon of Famine, and to ward off
the javelins of its follower, Pestilence. Under the
lEgis of the Government Ireland has been sheltered
in its extreme desolation and helplessness. Through
the sole exertions of the Executive 3,500,000 of our
fellow-creatures have been preserved from a terrible
and inevitable death. But for those exertions on the
part of the Government these 3,500,000 souls would
have died long since, and GOD knows what might
not have been the mortality which would have fol-
lowed thereupon
Meanwhile the proprietary are remaining on the
whole inactive. They take an interest in the struggles
of the Government officers against the local destitu-
tion which is growing and growing, and widening in
all directions over Ireland—but their interest is
passive. Nor is this all. Instead of taking a rigid
supervision of the manner in which the charities of
the State were being distributed, they look upon
that distribution with the utmost indifference ;
insomuch that the agents of the Government have
been
affluentmores of agriculturists.
Governmentlturists.That
andi
is theof difference
of
proprietors in regard to Ireland.
e
eco_ulda bmarodrleyhhaarvdeenbeeden Amore splendid
displayedby any
i flue:: b
ol f e
any administrationin-
munifineec
difference could not have marked the conduct