The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-23 00:00:00

PORTU6UESE PRISONERS.

Lord J. MANNERS wished to ask the Noble Lord
the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether the Govern-
ment were in possession of any authentic information
respecting the destination of the officers who were taken
prisoners by the Portuguese army at the capture of
Torres Vedras.

Lord PALMERSTON said, that in consequence of
representations made to the Portuguese Government
by the British, French, and Belgian, the Government
had changed their intention of sending the prisoners
to the coast of Africa. He believed that it was pro-
posed to send them to Madeira, or come other island. He
had not, however received. any official information upon
the subject.

CONSTITUTION OF PRUSSIA.
Mr. P. HOWARD wished to know whether it was
the intention of the Government to lay upon the table
of the House copies of the new constitution of Prussia?
Lord PALMERSTON said that it was4not usual for
the Government to lay before the House documents
relating so entirely to the internal management of the
affairs of other nations. If, however, the House wished to
have those documents, he would not object to their pro-
duction. He would, however, advise the Hon. Member
not to press for their production.
The subject then dropped
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND).
Lord CLEMENTS wished, in the absence of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, to call the attention of
the Honourable Gentleman the Secretary for Ire-
land to this circumstance. The House had been informed
that Government abuses had taken place in con-
nexion with the public works in Ireland. Now,
he wished to know, as he believed these abuses had
been carried further, and had been committed by persons
not exactly connected with these works, whether the
Government had taken any steps in the niatter, and
whether the accounts of the different baronies would be
audited ?

Mr. LABOUCHERE said the convenience of the
House would be greatly promoted if Hon. Gentlemen
would give notice of their intention to put their
questions.—(Hear, hear.) He had no doubt the accounts
would be regularly audited. He would, however, con-
sult the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject.
INTRODUCTION OF BRITISH MANUFAC-
TURES INTO PRUSSIA.
Mr. FINCH said, as they had been informed by a
high authority that Prussia intended to offer
facilities for the introduction of British manu,
factures into that country, he wished to ask the Vice-
President cf the Board of Trade, whethet there was any
immediate prospect of the free admission of British
manufactures into the Prussian dominions, or into the
states comprehended in the Zollverein?
Mr. M. GIBSON stated, in reply, that he had not
heard any one express a very sanguine hope that there
was any prospect that British or the, manufactures of
any other country would be admitted free into
the Zollverein.—(Hear, hear.) I❑ fact, there had
been an augmentation of duty.—(flear, and laughter.)
He was merely stating a fact.—(Hear.) With respect
to the first part of the Hon. Gentleman's question, he
begged to remind him that many other foreign countries
had made material reductions in their tariffs, and ad-
mitted the manufactures of other countries at a lower
duty.—( Hear.)

EXPORTATION OF RUSSIAN CORN.
In reply to a question from Mr. WAWN,
Lord PALMERSTON said he had recently received
information from St. Petersburgh which .led him to be-
lieve that the Russian Government did intend to offer
facilities for the exportation of corn into this country.
(Rear.) Large quantities, he believed, had been ex-
ported.

SEED FOR IRELAND.
Mr. B. OSBORNE wished to know what arrange-
ments had been made for distributing seed to people in
Ireland out of the 50,0001. voted by Parliament?
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the arrangements were
still under the consideration of the Government. Seed,
and not money, would be distributed.
RAILWAY BILLS.
Mr. STRUTT said that, in consequence of the wishes
of several Members, and with a view to limit the discus-
sion in the House, he would postpone the second reading
of the Railway Bills to Monday next.
DISTRESS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOT-
LAND.
On the motion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, that the
House do resolve itself into a Committee of Ways and
Means,
Mr. E. ELLICE begged to call the attention of the
Government to a report of the sheriff-substitute of the
county regarding the suffering and privation to which,
from the extreme scarcity of food, the population on
the west coast of Inverness-shire is now reduced.
He was extremely unwilling to trespass on the attention
of the llouse, but unless some steps were taken, the
calamities which were of daily occurrence in Ireland
would soon extend themselves to the Highlands.
It was but fair to say that many of the Scotch
proprietors had made great sacrifices in order
to support the population on their estates. In fact, it
would be invidious in him to allude to particular
instances. Some had made greater, some smaller
exertions, but still a large amount of the desti-
tute population had been supported by the landed
proprietor!) without asking the House for assistance.
At the same time there were many other proprietors who
had not acted in the same way, and who had forgotten
their duty and the manifestation of that sympathy
which was due from them. It was regarding this class
that he wished to draw the attention of her Majesty's
Government to the facts which he held in his hand. He did
not mean to say that the poor-law was efficient in every
instance of distress, and on that he did not wish at pre-
sent to express an opinion, as the law had not as yet
had a fair trail ; but he wished to press on the attention
of the House the facts to which he was coming. Those
facts were derived from a report of a gentleman of
high character, holding an important official situation,
and entitled to every consideration and credence. He
was the sheriff•substitute of the county of Inverness,
and the report was made at the instance of the Edin-
burgh Board of Relief, at whose request he had
made a journey into the distressed districts. In
the districts which he traversed he found a great propor-
tion of the people in a state of starvation, and in a much
worse condition than be expected. In the first district
he entered he found that out of 91 families 82 were
utterly destitute, making 483 individuals. Of these
138 were under twelve years of age. The quantity of
meal in the district was only sufficient to pro-
vide one pound weight a day for four days.
The writer instanced cases where fever and disease,
consequent upon famine, had already made considerable
ravages. The next district he went to he found
only thirty individuals in independent circum-
stances, and not requiring aid. The place
contained 671 souls, and amongst all that number
he found only ten chests of meal, which would only
afford them sustenance for two days. One proprietor
employed eighteen men there, but he had made no pro-
vision to pay them, nor had he furnished them with
any food. In the next instance given, 650 people were
in the same condition. Supplies had been sent by
the Free Church Committee, but they had been ex-
hausted. In one place, containing 1,610 people, 950 of
the number were in a state of destitution; and it was the
unanimous opinion of a meeting called there,
that in twenty-four hours many hundreds would
be suffering the pangs of hunger and starvation.
The writer said also, that nothing could be done by the
people themselves, and the proprietors did not appear to
be making any provision for them. The seed
corn was being consumed, and in many instances
had been wholly used. In a letter written by a
lady in the Isle of Skye, it was stated that
unless some means were taken to supply the people they
must starve. He did not wish then to make any ques-
tion as to the necessity of assisting the proprietors,
but the Government should take means to intro-
duce the poor-law as far as it could be made
available. Some steps should be taken by her
Majesty's Government to assist the people ; for,
in some instances, the tenants and proprietors
were selling their produce at a very low price,
in order to relieve the people as much as possible. He
felt that it was only necessary to call the attention of
her Majesty's Government to these circumstances, in
order to induce them to do all that could be done for
these poor people, and to save them from the misery of
want and starvation.
Sir G. GREY said that he could assure his Hon.
Friend that the attention of Government had
been fully directed to this qeestion. It was too
true that the most extensive and severe dis-
tress existed in the west Highlands of Scotland in
consequence of this visitation; it was true that the great
majority of proprietors in that district had made the
greatest sacrifices and exertions, in order to enable them
to discharge the obligations resting Oil them to support
the people in the present distress. There had been ex-
ceptions to this noble feeling, but he believed that the
exceptions were comparatively limited. The re-
port to which the Honourable Gentleman had
adverted had been communicated by the sheriff-
substitute of Inverness. He undertook his mission
throughout that district- in which the distress prin-
cipally prevailed, and his friend the Earl of. Eglin-
ton had communicated some letters embodying the same
facts as were contained in the report. Inquiry had
been 'directed into all the circumstances connected
with that distress, and the head of the Commissariat in
Oban had been instructed to see that a supply was af-
forded to those places in danger of suffering frem. fa-
mine. A few days ago he had received a letter from
Sir John M'Neill, chairman of the Board of Supervision
in Scotland, and that gentleman had ordered that,
special inquiry should be made, with the view
that the poor-law as it existed should be carried into
effect. Captain Cowan had always received orders to
supply food, with the view of relieving distress where it

existed.
Mr. BAILLIE said, that he could painfully cor-
roborate that the distress had greatly increased
in the Western Highlands. ao had seen a
letter from M'Leod, of M‘Leod, verifying the fact.
Sir GEORGE GREY said there were two frigates
constantly engaged in supplying the islands of Scotland
with food.

After a few words from Mr. GOULBURN,
P. KIM% said it was highly prsisewQr..