The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-19 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 18.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat upon the
Woolsack at Five o'rlcck.

DISTILLING FROM SUGAR BILL.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
the landed proprietors, farmers, and others of Dunferm-
line, against the use of sugar in distilleries; also a peti-
tion from the county of Forfar to the same effect.
POOR REMOVAL ACT.
The NOBLE DUKE also presented a petition from the
board of guardians of the Cardigan Union against the
Poor Removal Act of last session.
Lord VIVIAN presented a petition from the board
of guardians of Swaff ham Union to the same effect.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.
Earl MOUNTCASHEL presented a petition from
Kilkenny (as we understood), supplicating the attention
of their Lordships to the famishing state of the poor of
Ireland, and earnestly praying them to devise immediate
remedies.

ELECTORAL DISTRICTS.
The NOBLE EARL also presented a petition from Kin-
sale, complaining of the unequal mode of rating electoral
districts for the support of the poor, and praying that
the poor-rates might be equalised throughout the whole
country. _

POOR REMOVAL ACT.
The Earl of STRADBROKE presented a petition
against the Poor Removal Act from a number of per-
sons in Suffolk.

BANKING.
Lord EGLINTON said, that on Monday next he
would move for copies of the correspondence which
passed between the Government and the Scotch and
Irish bankers.

DESTITUTE PERSONS (IRELAND) BILL.
The Earl of SHAF 1 E BU KY brought up the report
upon this Bill.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGII said that he viewed
the Bill with great tiistrust. It assumed that the
people of Ireland would be capable of giving money fur
the food to be supplied. He saw no measure yet passed
by Parliament, or known to be in progress, which would
effect the object to be attained by the Bill within the
limited period fur which the measure was to remain in
operation. It was to be substituted, as he understood,
for what was improperly called the Labour-rare Act.
lie confessed that he hail a feeling almost of despon-
dency with respect to the future in Ireland, from the
reports contained in the large blue book upon the table.
That feeling did not arise from the state of the potato
crop, but from th.. picture contained iu that large blue
book of the intimidation under which the relief
committees acted, and the jobbing which pre-
vailed in the administration of the law.—(Hear.)
Be confessed that he hid great doubts as to the suc-
cessful operation of the present meesure. It was his
opinion that it would not work as well as the Labour-rate
Act of last session. The landlords of Ireland, he appre-
hended, would not take advantage to any extent of the
provisions of the measure, and the people, therefore, would
not secure those benefits which the Government contem-
plated. Some great measure of public works would be
of far greater use than any of the plans now proposed.
He confessed he thought the principle of the Labour-rate
Act of last year preferable to the one now proposed.
No doubt the present was a good measure as an
auxiliary to other measures, although standing by
itself it only meant an Act to take from the hard-
earned money of the people of this country, to give
food to the people of Ireland, without any prospect of
a return.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE wished to direct the
attention of the Noble Lord to the form of the Act.
Although a sum of only 300,000/. was specified, yet the
Noble Lord would find in the 17th clause that a power
was given to Parliament to advance other sums as they
might think fit.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH—The clause says
" granted."
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—What relief the
committees might think proper to recommend, that the
Parliament had power to advance or grant as they
might think fit. The Noble Lord had expressed much
veneration for the former Act.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH—" Oh, no."
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—He was not cer-
tain whether the Noble Earl was present when he (the
Marquis of Lansdowne) had moved the second
reading of this Bill : at that time he had stated to
the House his own opinion, that it would be bet-
ter if they had considered these Bills concur-
rently with the others before the Legislature
on the same subject. He considered that this measure
would stimulate labour in Ireland ; and although the
Noble Earl had expressed an opinion that landlords
would not avail themselves of the Government offer, he
(the Marquis of Lansdowne) entertained no doubt that
they, and especially landlords of entailed estates, would do
so. He did believe that the efforts of the Government had
been of the greatest service in obtaining the advantages
which were anticipated from this Act. The Noble Earl
(Ellenborough) had allowed that there was a gri at
moral principle in the Labour-rats Act ; but he was sorry
to say that the Government had found that great abuses
had been practised under this Act, and that,
above all, grt at intirni.lath n had been used
for the employ meat of perm= who ought never to have
been engaged. No man could more sensibly feel the
injury arising from these abuses than he (the Marquis
of Lansdowne) bat he mu• t say I hat greet advantages
had been enjoyed under the Act, acid the efforts
of her Majesty's Government haft heen,very • tf,cival in
putting down these abuses, and great preen ss had been
made in different parts of the country in the prevvntion
of this empleymetit altoeether, met he was happy to
say, that the emp prent of labour w;.:s now bring
carri, d on in the most tie:let-a!, manner; at.d he could
assure the House that h. r Maj stfs Government had
great hopes of putt r-= down Cots intimidation altogether.
And lie did believe, if he might us.- sucir a phrase, that
the system would he reodered wscertight. Under all
,he circumstances the 'mates- was too impertant not to
secure the vigilant a: triniou Of tier Maj sty', Govern-
ment. lie proposed to move the third reading of the
Bill on Monday.
PORTUGUESE TRO,
Lords BEAUMONT and BROUGHAM both rose at
the same moment, and a slight altercation as to priority
of right took place, but ultimately Lord Brougham gave
way, and
Lord BEAUMONT said, that he rose to put the
question to the Noble Itlarquis, of which he had
given notice the last time the House met. The
question he wished to ask was respecting the treatment
of the prisoners taken by the Queen's troops in
Portugal atter the late battle of Torres Vedras.
In putting this question he wishes to guard himself against
any supposition that he desired to interfere with the do-
mestic affairs of any other country, except where British
interests were at stake. Whether in a case of war or
otherwise, he conceived that there was no right whatever
to interfere with the internal affairs of any other country;
but in the present case, for the Government to remain
passive was only to increase the difficulties attendant
upon the position of affairs in Portugal. The circum-
stances of the case were as follows: A division of the
army opposed to the Queen's Government, under the
command of Count Bomfim, advanced to Torres Vedras
with the intention of moving on to Lisbon,
and after a severe battle, which terminated
in the success of the forces of the Queen, the
remnant of the division, under Count Bomfim, retired
into the castle of Torres Vedras. The Duke of
Saldanha, commanding the Queen's forces, called upon
them to surrender,—they refused to do so, but subse-
quently they surrendered on condition of receiving all
the honours of war. To this proposition the Duke of
Saldanha agreed, and the stipulations were drawn up in
writing, and signed by the comatander of the
Queen's forces. On the faith of these stipula-
tions the remnant of the division in the castle
surrendered. But, notwithstanding the agreement and
stipulations were drawn up in writing, the officers of
that division were marched to Lisbon and taken on
board a frigate lying in the Tagus, where they
were confined, with scarcely any of the necessaries
of life, with scanty clothing, and the poorest
description of food. In cons. quettee of some
rumour that the prisoners were about to escape, they
were taken out ul the fiiguie, and placed on board
a small brig-ot-a ar, and the Portuguese Govern-
ment came to the resolution to send the
officers to Angola, on the coast of Africa,
one of the most unhealthy places on the coast ot' Africa.
In their passage to that place they endured the greatest
hardships, being crammed into a less space than even
that which was allotted for slaves in the slave, vessels.
He believed, that though the fleet was there for the pro-
tection of British iuterests,the officers in command would,
if the division under Count Bomfim hart been successful,
have covered the embalkatien of the Queen's forces, and
protected them from any injury that might have been
offered to them. If, then, protection was to be given to that
side, he thought that they were bound to see that the cor-
vettes to which he had adverted should be protested
against, lest the feelings of the country should be_
eerxe:
cited against the Queen's Government. In order, h
fmoer en,t to
should preserve
exerttlleir neutrality,hei
r otehoeoeß, ottvheornse-
officers perished, to induce
ought
ritibethbrGe
jr,s ttu gleeyse them, G
ando-
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had been
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As
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Brougham)
proceed to ask the Noble Marquis iwhether any corre-
spun euce had passed between the 1 ortuguese Govern-
went and her Majesty's Government relative to these
cireuesstances, and, it so whether any steps had been
taken by this Government with respect, tat them?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE sai=l the question WAS
one of considerable lateen Aare, and 01141 which he was
most desirous, and he trusted able, to give him and the
sl lwoeurs, e ah
os
utti sat
isfactory
he
could answer to.
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Noble Lord had so pointedly, and not impro-
perly, adverted. He regretted that that country which
was connected with this by so many ties—so much
community of interest—so many historical relations and
recollections—should be in the state which Portu-
gal was in at the present moment.—(Hear.) And
it would be a matter of the deepest satisfaction
if any effort on the part of this country, if even par-
partially applied, could promote an amendment of that
state of things. As their Lordships well knew,
in the course of last year an insurrection broke out
in Portugal, which had assumed most decidedly the
character of a civil war, in the course of which, from
the opposition not only of particular factions,
but of particular families, which was deeply
to be deplored, and which were apt, on too many
occasions, to exceed those limits, and those rela-
tions which generally subsisted between nations,
considerable animosity was excited. A body of persona
were taken with arms in their hands, and made pri.