The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

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 House, 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
proprietors 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•substiture 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 he expected. In the first district
he entered he found that out of 91 families 82 were
utterly dei.titute, making 483 individuals. Of thes,.
138 were under twelve Sears 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 clays. 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-
hunger
hausted. In one place, containing.l,6lo people, 950 of
called
s tary there,ation
.
the number were in a state of destitution; and it was the
b e unanimoussuffe
suffering
g t opinionhe pa n ogts'
aof meeting
that in twenty-four hours many hundreds would
The writer said also, that nothing could be done by the
peep's 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 slated 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, tho tenants and proprietors
were selling their produce at a very low price,
in
price,
in order to relieve the people as much as possible. He
felt that it was only necessary to call the attention al
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 on 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 from fa-
mine. A few days ago he had received a letter from
Sir John APNeill, 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 he carried into
effect. Captain Cowan had aiways 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. He had seen a
letter from Aneod, 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. GO ULBURN,
Mr. P. SCROYE said it was highly praisewor-
thy of those landlords who had taken care of
their poor, and it was equally reprehensible of those
landlords who did not support their poor. But what
was still more reprehensible was, for Government to
allow the poor to remain at the mercy of any landlord ;
and there ought to be an efficient poor-law to obviate
the evil.--(Hear, hear.)
Major MACNAMARA said there was not a man in
his part of the country who had not done his duty, and
as for hiniself he was the largest contributor in the
county of Clare.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. STUART said that he had received a letter
from M'Leod, of 3PLeod, detailing the distress of the
persons on his estate, and concluding by stating that
he had, up to the present period, supplied his tenants
with oatmeal to the amount of 51. on an average, and
that such was the fearful state of the distress, that it
was quite impossible for him to bear up under it.
Tho conversation then dropped.
THE BUDGET.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee of
Ways and Means.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose for
the purpose of making the financial statement, and said
—Mr. Greene: Although I have little doubt but that the
importance of the subject upon which I am now
about to address the Committee would ensure the
attention of the Committee, yet I hope I shall not appeal
to it in vain for its indulgence during the- statement I

am about to make. Though unwilling to shrink from

the►performance of that duty which persons holding my