The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-04 00:00:00

CHELSEA PENSIONERS.

The Duke of WELLINGTON proposed the first
reading of this Bill. In doing so, he said it was not his
intention to address any observations to their Lordships
on the subject, except that the Bill was intended to
abolish the poundage heretofore deducted from the
pensions of those gallant men—the Chelsea pensioners—
and consequently to promote their welfare and interests.
The Bill was read a first time.

POOR LAWS.
Lord DENMAN presented a petition from a parish
in Derboshire complaining of the present poor-laws, and
praying for its immediate amendment, particularly that
the poor ought to be supported by the public.
PRICE OF FOOD IN IRELAND.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition
from the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Cork, pray-
ing their Lordships to cause measures to be taken to
diminish the price of food in that county. He
begged to state that he entirely concurred
with the observation of his Noble and Learned Friend
(Lord Brougham) with respect to the impolicy of
creating an artificial dimunition of the prices of food.
He could mention several places where this reduction
of prices had led to the most greivous scarcity; the week
following that in which such reductions were made,
as the shopkeepers refused to sell their
commodities at the reduced prices, and the
adjoining farmers discontinuing to send into the towns
the usual supplies. It was the duty of the Government
to remove all obstructions to the supply of food, and they
had, therefore, done all in their power to carry supplies
of food to those places which were not easily accessible.
ANTICIPATED SCARCITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
The Duke of RICHMOND—I think it is desirable that
it should not go forth to the whole of the country,
that there is likely to be a great dearth of provisions in
this country. It is said, in many parts of England that there
will be a scarcity of corn, and that all the evils of a
famine may be apprehended, Now, I believe that that
is not the case, as I believe that there is a
great deal of corn in the hands of persons in
this country. Besides, when, coupled with this, we
see such large imports of grain from the United
States, there is little reason for the people to consider
that this country will have to encounter a famine. I,
for one, have no apprehension of a famine here.--(Hear.)
The corn merchants, against whom the most senseless
glamour had been raised as very injurious persons, in-
stead of being represented as they really were; and if
this clamour were to be continued it must be productive
of great mischief.

Earl FITZWILLIAII had not the slightest "doubt
but that the supply of wheat, both in England Ireland,
was insufficient for those who were consumers of wheat.
This would necessarily be absorbed, and certainly the
finer qualities of wheat would be scarce, and,
perhaps, there might be a scarcity in the
secondary qualities also, but he was anxious to correct
ono mistake which might be injurious out of doors.
That was the impression created by the words of his
Noble and Learned Friend, and he was anxious to core
rect the notion that the people of England were suffer-
ing anything like the same destitution as that which is
experienced in Ireland. The people of Ireland were
not consumers of wheat, but of other produce, and as
the potato crop had totally failed, the want was not only
felt in Ireland, but there was absolute destitution.
This was a notion which he earnestly desired to correct.
for if it were not corrected, it might lead to a relaxation
of those efforts which were indispensable to relieve the
Irish people from starvation.
Lord BROUGHAM was anxious to explain that ho
had never entertained the idea that the destitution in
England was in any degree equal to that in Ireland.
When he made the observations to which his Noble
Friend referred, he had in his eye Glasgow, Liverpool,
and Bristol, the ports on the western coast, where a
scarcity of cern had been severely felt. The
Loint which he desired to bring under their
ordships' notice was the fact, that while Great
exertions had been made for the relief of Ireland nothing
of anything like the same effort had been manifested for
the poor of Scotland and England. He found no
fault with the contributions that had been made
for the suffering poor in Ireland. Iu his
opinion. it did the people of this country
great honour, for all classes had equally exerted them-