The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-23 00:00:00

APRIL 28, 1847.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, April 22.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
LAW OF LANDLORD AND TENANT
(IRELAND).
The Marquis of 'WESTMEATH said he had a mo-
tion on the notice paper connected with the laW of
landlord and tenant in Ireland, which he begged to post-
pone till after Thursday the 29th, in order that the
second reading of the Government Bill upon that subject
might not be interrupted. The Noble Lord then read
his motion, which was partially altered. He continued to
say, that as he was upon his legs, it was his most painful
duty to bring forward a matter which he would rather
have refraine from. But as he had the crime resting
upon him of being an Irish proprietor he would not,
their Lordships might he assured, stand as a butt to any
order whatever in the performance of his duty as a
nimbi rof Parliament. He admitted, that if any mem-
ber of the British Parliament rose up in his place and
spoke on any subject he was open to have his conduct
criticised. He found no fault with that ; but he did not
choose, when he rose in the House as an Irish Peer, to
have the ground cut from under him by misstatements,
%vhich were put forth for the purpose of founding
upon those grounds arguments that might cajole
or bamboozle— (Laughter) the friends of Ireland.
He might possibly have laid himself open to ridi-
cule, but the tendency of such misrepresentations
as lie had been the subject of would be to direct the
bullet of the assassin to his person. The Times news-
paper of Wednesday last, in the report of the business
of their Lordships' House, had put into his mouth what
he had not said, and hail as carefully kept out what he
actually did say. The Noble Lord then referred to the
report in the columns of the Times, and denied that he
had complained of ridicule on the part of the Noble and
Learned Lord.—(The Noble Lord here entered into a
repetition of his statement and the provisions of the
measure, which was withdrawn on Tuesday evening.) He
repeated that he did not complain of ridicule on the part
of the Noble and Learned Lord, who he knew was as
able in the discharge of his peculiar duties as any Lord
Chancellor that had ever acted heretofore, and charac-
terised for the amiability of his nature. But he did
think that Noble Lord had misrepresented both his ar-
guments and his measure. Some one, however, for some
base end—some miscreant unseen, scribbling for his hire,
had chosen to misrepresent his words and his statements.
The Sun newspaper also contained the same serious
misrepresentation. He assured their Lordships that he
said no such thing as was imputed to him. He objected
to the attempt which had been made to raise a laugh in
the House, instead of meeting the objections of his Bill.
He was there as a representative Peer of Ireland,
and was determined, cost what it might, in the
present awful crisis which hung over his country,
to do his duty. He hoped, by their Lordships' support,
to put a stop to this evil, and he begged to move that
the printers of those two newspapers should be called to
the bar of the House. He intended to persevere in the
motion. The Noble Lord concluded by saying " I beg
to move that the printers of the Times and ,Sun news-
papers be called to the bar of the House to answer for
a breach of the privileges of your Lordships' House."
Lord BROUGHAM said, that if their Lordships
allowed the galleries to be occupied, there was no doubt
but that the reports which were made to the public
would be made in a spirit perfectly fair and honest.
He felt the necessity for that as entirely as his Lord-
ship did, and he thought the departure from such a
course deserving of censure. He would, however, re-
mind his Lordship that the plan usually acted upon in
both Houses of Parliament was to avoid needlessly in-
terfering in such things. That their Lordships bad an
undoubted right to prevent strangers from entering the
gallery of their Lordships' House there could be no
doubt. But they were not excluded, and at the same
time their Lordships should consider that those persons
who gave an account of their proceedings were, he might
say, not in 99 cases out of 100, but in 999 cases out of
1,000, actuated by strictly honourable motives, and gave
with singular ability and most admirable impartiality
the account of what passed within their Lordships'
House. He hoped, therefore, that his Noble Friend
would deem the notice he had taken of the circumstance
quite sufficient, without pressing the matter any further.
He had never seen any any good arise, either to their
Lordships' House or to the other House, from needlessly
entering into a conflict with any portion of the public
press of this country. It had been said that he (Lord
Brougham) had expressed it as his opinion that the press
was the best public instructor of the country. He did
not, however, mean by the term " press"the newspaper
press only, but what he meant was, that the press ge-
nerally was the best possible instructor of the country.
He would advise the Noble Marquis not to take any
further step in the matter; for it was his opinion, that
the notice which his Lordship had taken of the subject
was sufficient.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that the great
difficulty in this case was to prove malevolence on the
part of those who were accused. It was merely an in-
accuracy of the reporter. Such practices as the Noble
Marquis (Westmeath) spoke of could not pos-
sibly take place on any respectable newspaper.
Besides, an opportunity was afforded to any
Noble Member who might be misrepresented of
correcting any mistakes that might be committed. Their
Lordships should consider the difficult position in which
reporters were placed—(Hear, hear)—and he trusted
that, under these circumstances, the Noble Lord would
not persevere in his motion.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH said, that since
he found it was the wish of their Lord-
ships, he would not persist in his motion.
However, he must say, that in the present state of Ire-
land, it was very necessary that there should be a true
statement of what he said, and that the misrepresenta-
tions of the press should not be used against him.
There was an article in the 7 Imes containing most
scurrilous abuse of him. Upon that he looked with
contempt ; but still he must say that, coupling that ar-
ticle with the report, he believed the misrepresentation
was deliberate. But, as their Lordships were agreed,
he would not persist in his motion.—(Hear, hear.)
The LORI) CHANCELLOR said that the observa-
tions which he had made, he confined entirely to the
Bill before their Lordships.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH said he believed that
the Noble and Learned Lord was incapable of acting in
any unamiable manner, but he did feel that ho had not
been well treated.
The motion was then withdrawn.
POOR-LAW (IRELAND) BILL.
Lord KENYON presented a petition from the vestry
of Marylebone in favour of the Poor-law (Ireland) Bill.
The Earl of CLANCARTY laid on the table petitions
from the county of Roscommon, and the medical profes-
sion in the county of Tyrone, against the Poor-law
(Ireland) Bill.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, who was imper-
fectly heard, was understood to say that the Poor-law
(Ireland) Bill was not what the Noble Earl had repre-
sented it, and did not contain any clause conferring a
general right to out-door relief to the poor of Ireland.
The Earl of FITZWILLIAM wished to ask the
Noble Marquis (Lansdowne), if, in the event of the Bill
for the Suppression of Vagrancy in Ireland not passing
into law in the other House, the Government would pro-
ceed with the other two measures, the Poor-law and the
Landed Property Bills?
The Alarquis of LANSDOWNE said it would be
presumptuous in him to state what course would be
adopted in the event of the other House not passing into
a law the Bill referred to. No exertion, however, would
be wanting on the part of the Government to carry all
the measures they had introduced in connexion with
Ireland.
'The subject then dropped.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition against
any alteration in the Navigation Laws.
EDUCATION.

The Bishop of LLANDAFF presented several peti-
tions in favour of the Government scheme of education.
Earl FITZWILLIAM presented several petitions
against the Government scheme of education.
Similar petitions were presented by Lord VIVIAN and
the Marquis of LANSDOWNE.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented petitions
from the inhabitants of Wakefield, the churchwardens
and others of the parish of Stepney, and other places, in
favour of the Government scheme.
Lord DENMAN presented two similar petitions on
the same subject.
POOR-LAW (IRELAND).
Lord RODEN presented a petition against a poor-law
for Ireland.
FEVER (IRELAND) BILL.
The Earl of CLARENDON moved that their Lord.
ships should go into Committee on this Bill. The pre•
sent Bill was one brought in for the purpose of making
some amendments in the Bill passed last session upon
this subject.
Lord MONTEAGLE considered that some difficulty
would be found in obtaining the necessary super-
vision under the provisions of this Bill, arising
from the great extent of the unions of Ireland,
some of them containing upwards of 500,000 acres,
and he thought that some amendments might be intro-
duced in the Bill to remedy this defect. Any amend-
ments that he might at a future stage of the Bill propose
to their Lordships should be framed in such a manner
as not to defeat or affect the principle of the Bill. This
Bill has been more or less obstructed by disputes among
the medical profession itself, and Parliament had allowed
its efforts to be neutralised by the party squabbles of
local medical boards. He thought that the time had
now arrived when such considerations should not ope-
rate, but the Government should come forward and
make such enactments as the emergency of the case re-
quired.
The Marquis of WESTMEATII said, that consider-
ing the expense of the education of the medical profes-
sion in Ireland, and the facility that was afforded for
obtaining diplomas in Scotland, and elsewhere, he
thought that there should be an amendment to protect
the members of the medical profession in Ireland, and
he would propose an amendment to that effect.
The Earl of CLANCARTY—His Noble Friend op-
posite had spoken of the disputes among the medical
profession in Ireland having impeded the efforts of the
Government on this subject. He must say, in justice to
the medical profession, that those distinguished mem-
bers of that profession, who had come before the House
last session, and to others who had sent petitions, sup-
porting the views of the Government, that they were
actuated by motives quite different to those attributed to
them.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE could assure the
House that it was the earnest wish of her Majesty's
Government to deal satisfactorily with the medical pro-
fession in Ireland; but they had to deal first with that
subject which concerned all parties.
After a few words from the Earl of CLARENDON and
Lord MONTEAGLE their Lordships went into Committee.
The Bill having gone through Committee, the Chair-
man reported accordingly, and the Bill was ordered to
be read a third time to-morrow (this day).
Their Lordships then adjourned.