The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-06 00:00:00

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will secure the object her Majesty's Government are
seeking to attain—a Bill which appears to me more
calculated than any other measure permanently
to lead to the improvement of Ireland, and to relieving
it from the effects of that great misfortune by which it
has recently been visited.—(Hear, hear.) My Lords, I I
am not at all desirous of throwing any impediment in
the way of this Bill, and I am perfectly certain that
there are many of your Lordships much more capable
than I am of stating the benefits which this measure is
calculated to produce. But lam anxious to propose a
clause in the Committee on the Bill, which I think
would
contribute to its good working, and remove a
practice in the social system of Ireland which, in my
opinion, has tended greatly to aggravate the misfortunes
of that country, if it has not been the principal occasion
of them. The practice I refer to is that of making land
the circulating capital of the country, and pledging the
land for the purpose of paying the wages of the labourer.
I say, my Lords, that this is one of the causes and one of
the greatest aggravations of the existing evils of Ireland,
and the emsequence is, that the Government has been
obliged to come forward to give relief by employing
large numbers of the labourers of the country upon
public works. Such a practice as this is most injurious,
for those men who require the services of the labourers
let them land, and, instead of paying them wages as la-
bourers, they oblige the individuals who take the land i
to work out the rent. The consequence s that the la-
bourer, who is wholly dependent for his subsistence upon
the produce of his land, finds that his labour i s mort-
gaged for the rent, and at the same time, being without
assistance, when his strength fails him he has no re-
source, and is compelled to resort to the Government
works. And what becomes of his employer, the farmer
or the small gentleman who employs him, under this
system of making ;land the circulating medium of the
country and the wages of labour ? When difficulties
occur, and his capital fails, and his labourers are in-
capable of work, he has no resource ; he is not in the
habit of laying' by capital—he has none—and he can
employ no labour. Thus distress, when it comes, affects
everybody, and the Government is compelled to employ
the labourers of the country, and to give them food.
Under these circumstances, my Lords, it appears to me
that you cannot apply an effectual remedy to the evils
of Ireland unless you enforce the necessity of paying
the wages of the labourer in the current coin of the
realm, and in the Committee on the Bill I shall propose
a clause requiring that all bargains for the wages of
labour shall be made in the current coin of the realm,
and that the payment of wages shall be enforced in the
same, and that the labourer shall have a claim for the
payment of his wages in the current coin of the realm,
notwithstanding any bargain with his employer to the
contrary. I will lay this clause upon your Lordships'
table, and I will move it either in the Committee or on
the bringing up of the report.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE entirely agreed with
the Noble Duke in the principle of the amendment he
proposed, but he was not at all sanguine as to its prac-
ticability.
The Earl FITZWILLIAM agreed with the Noble
Duke, that these measures were very valuable, as far as
they went for the improvement of Ireland. He heard
with satisfaction the views of the Noble Marquis on this
Bill, and he believed that if they were carried out, they
would materially mitigate the evils under which Ireland
was at present labouring.
The Earl of WICKLOW wished to call the attention
of the Government to what he considered an omission,
but he hoped an accidental omission. He meant the
omission of the landlords, who undertook works under
Mr. Labouchere's letter. They were not taken into con-
shleration
.at all, and he entreated the Government to
comprise ad the sums in this Bill which were expended
under Mr. Labouchere's letter. The Bill had his full
concurrence, and he considered it a most efficient mea-
sure, but he thought the omission to which he adverted
should be supplied.
Lord MONTEAGLE was unwilling to say one word
on the principle of the Bill. He considered it one of
great public importance, and one of great public duty.
The money was advanced under the strongest security—
that of land itself, and he bet., ged to call their attention to
the smallness of the advances compared with that security.
He thought that every effort should be made to render
the present income an efficient one, and therefore a pro-
vision should be introduced against the truck system,
but that the parties employed under it, should receive
their wages in money. Before sitting down, he had an
amendment to suggest in one of the clauses. In the
fourth clause of the original Bill, he found that provision
was made for the erection of mills in particular districts,
which were in the want of them. There was also no re-
striction as to the amount of the capital to be invested in
those mills, or their size. In that shape he was not sur-
prised that the Bill was objected to, but still he con-
sidered that some provision of the kind should be
retained. The amount, however, ought to be restricted
in amount, and he would move a clause in Committee to
that effect. He would also recommend, that in addition
to these mills, small stores should be erected in particular
localities, and the provision in the original. Bill re-
specting the erection of farm buildings, she eld also be
restored.

The Duke of RICH &lOND concurred with his Noble
Friend as to the necessity of introducing such provisions
in the Bill as would provide for mills, and the erection of
suitable farm buildings.
Lord BEAUMONT considered a great improvement
would have to be made in the system of tillage, before
the landlords of Ireland could take advantage of the
provisions of the Bill. The great evil in Ireland was
the small farms into which the soil was divided, and the
tenacious hold which the peasantry had upon the land.
There ought to be something done to alter this state of
things and to enlarge the farms. As it regarded the
amendment of his Noble Friend (Lord Monteagle), he
was astonished that it had not been retained i❑ the Bill,
as he considered it essential to the due efficiency or the
Bill.

Their Lordships then went into Committee.
Lord MONTEAGLE proposed an amendment on the

th clause, authorising the erection of farm buildings,
and in certain districts of corn mills, provided always
that not more than 1,0001. was applied for the erection of
any one mill.

Lord STANLEY agreed with the Noble Lord as to
the propriety of the amendment which had just been
made.

After a few words from Lord LUCAN,
The Slarquis of LANSDOWNE conceded the im-
portance of the amendment of the Noble Lord, giving
power to erect mills, which he thought would prove of
great advantage to the antry.
The clause, as altere-d, was then agreed to.

On the question that it stand part'Of the Bill,
Lord MONTEAGLE said he felt strongly the im-
portance of the clause, and wished to take the opinion of
their Lordships upon it. He was certain the Bill would
not work without such an addition. The Noble Lord on
hearing that the Marquis of Lansdowne would give the
subject his attention, said he would not press his arneld-
ment then.

After a few words from the Duke of Richmond, and
the Earl of Lucan, Marquis of Clanricarde, Lord Redes-
dale, and several other Noble Lords, the clause was
agreed to.

Clauses 1 to 5 were also agre-fl to, without any
amendments.

Upon clause 6 being read, the Earl of DEVON pro-
posed some amendments affecting the powers proposed to
be given to the trustees appointed under the Act.
After a few words from Lord Stanley, the Marquis of
Clanricarde, and the Earl of Wicklow, the clause as it
originally stood was agreed to.

The gurl of SHAFTESBURY reported progress.
The House resumed, and immediately thereafter ad-
journed.

ROUSE OF COMMONS, May 5.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly after Twelve