The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-16 00:00:00

tenant had dismissed twelve magistrates for being
guardians of this union. He asked if the re-
port was correct, and also what steps had been taken
to supply the places of the dismissed guardians,
and whether any instructions had been given to recover
the 1,U79/. of poer-rates due as am Ars.
Sir G. GREY said it was quite true the pat-liens ef
the union ha,i been dismissed, but it was net b, the Go
!eminent or the Lord-Lieutenant, but by the Poor-law
Commissioners, in whose hands the power rested. The
step taken would require, according to law, that a fresh
election of guardians should immediately take place, and
if those do not discharge their duty, then the Poor-law
Commissioners would appoint peid guardians. He had
not received notice of the question, or else he would
Itme brought the letter of the Poor-law Commissioners
with him ; but that, with the other papers respecting
the Castlebar union, would be placed on the table of the
House in a few days.
Mr. P. SCROPE wished to know if it was the inten-
tion of the Government to prosecute the guardians for
their heinous neglect of the poor? They had refused out-
(lour relief under the most distressing circumstances,
and a hundred persons had died in the workhouse, on
which inquests had been held.
Sir GEORGE GREY replied that he was in posses-
sion of no information at present as to what course would
be taken.
Mr. SCROPE said that perhaps the Attorney-Gene-
ral would answer the question.
Mr. F. FRENCH said, the Hon. Member (Mr. P.
SeroPe) should have given notice of his question, and
the Irish Members would have been prepared to answer it.
THE WELLINGTON STATUE.
Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY wished to ask the Noble
Lord, the head of the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests, whether any application had been made by the
Committee of the Wellington statue to remove the scaf-
folding around it, and at whose expense the same was
to be effected ?
Lord MORPETll—Directions had been given to the
sculptor to remove the remaining portion of the scaffold-
ing, which prevents the view on the north side, as they
conceived a sufficient view was not obtained at present.
--(Laughter.) Certainly they (the Government) thought
a sufficient view had already been obtained. The
9uestion was before the sub-committee and the sculptor.
The sub-committee had stated, that after removing a
portion of the scaffolding, if it should be opposed to the
views of the Government to have the statue remain,
they would temove it. The Government was of opinion
that the northern side of Waterloo-place would be
the best site.
Mr. MACKINNON would ask the Noble Lord
(Morpeth) if he was aware that it was considered an
indignity to remove statues during the lifetime of those
whom they were iuter.ded to honour? Was the
Noble Lord aware that in Pompeii some statues were
placed upon arches, and in almost exactly the same posi-
tion as that of the Wellington statue?—(Laughter.)
Lord MORPETH—With respect to what the lion.
Gentleman stated, it could not be supposed in the
present state of public opinion to remove the statue, and
with respect to Pompeii, it could not be supposed that art
was in the most perfect state in the days of Pompeii—
(Hear, hear)—and it should be recollected that at that
time there were more violent methods of displacement.
FACTORY BILL.
Sir W. JAMES wished to know whether it was in-
tended to make any change with respect to the educa-
tion of factory children, and to employ the female chit
dren in print-works?
Sir G. GREY, who spoke in so low a tone as to be
scarcely audible, was understood to say that, with re-
ference to the first point, the education of children in
print-works, it was unanimously recommended that
such education should be afforded. With regard
to the second question, the subject was under con-
sideration, and a Bill would be brought in upon the
subject. With regard to the third point, he was not
prepared, in the absence of further information, to give
a decided answer.
Mr. BRIGHT understood that there was a clause in
troduced in the Bill which the House had under consi-
deration that fully met the object of the Hon. Member's
second question.
Sir G. GREY said there was a general report of the
factory inspectors, recommending that certain portions
9j machinery should be cased in to prevent accidents.
That recommendation was under consideration.

THE POOR IN IRELAND.
Lord GEO. BENTINCK wished to ask some ques-
tions of the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer
With reference to the Board of Works in Ireland, and
the employment of destitute persons in that country.
The first question which he wished to ask was—
What was the average weekly amount paid to each
officer of the Irish public works, the number of
Whom were 11,587; what were the highest and lowest
rates of wages paid to the officers of those works; what
was the gross amount of maintenance connected with
the Board of Works during the month of
January last; the gross extra expenditure con-
nected with these works as regarded clerks, &c.;
the gross cost of maintaining the destitute poor since
January; the quantity of corn bought by Government
for that purpose and the quantity in bond; and, lastly,
what was the ratio of the expenditure of the staff as at
Present existing in proportion to the persons employed ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was
unable to give the answer to the first question
Of his Noble Friend in detail as respected the
Poor in Ireland. The first question put, as to
the weekly amount of the money expended for the
relief of the destitute poor in Ireland—the answer to
that question was, according to the returns, 88,5871. The
next question, as to the number of the persons employed on
those works otherwise than labourers—according to
the returns of the officials employed on these works,
it was 486, anti the number of persons employed as
labourers on those works was 10,897. The daily pay
of those persons is 2,774/. The Noble Lord then asks
the amount of the weekly pay of those persons, and
if ho would multiply this amount by six he
would find what the aggregate amount was. Jf
the Noble Lord would turn to the same blue
book, page 19, he would find that the highest
pay of the engineer was 30s. a day, with 105, fur travel-
ling expenses, with an addition of 103. per day when
they were out. The lowest pay was for the surveyor of
the works, which was 2s. per day. The Noble Lord
then asks, what is the actual cost of these works, and
the maintenance of those who were engaged to survey
their execution. To this he might reply that the
actual cost was 2,700/. odd per day, and the general
average cost of the week was 78,0001. To the Noble
Lord's inquiry as to the expenditure during the
month of January he could not reply, but the expense
during the four weeks of December was upwards of
71,000/. He was not in a condition to say what the
extreme expenses were, but he might say that the actual
pay of the workmen was trom Bd. to 10d. a day, • and
the extremest paints ranged from Bd. to is. 4d. for the
daily pay during the three months of November, De-
cember, and January, for the relief of the destitute poor.
The expenditure upon labour for four weeks in the
month of November was 308,3511.; for the first four weeks
in the month of December, 588,0451., and for the nine
weeks of December and January it was 1,500,0001. The
amount of corn in bond during* those periods amounted
to 218,000 quart ers.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. P. SCROPE gave notice that to-morrow he should
ask a question of the Government, whether, under the pre-
sent law, the boards of guardian. in Ireland were respon-
sible for the relief of toe poor ? and if they were, whether
the guardians of Castlebar ought nut to ue pro,ecuted
under the law by her Majesty's Attorney-General; and
if they were not whether any steps would be taken to
render them responsible in future?
OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS BILL.

Mr. ROEBUCK stated that he had a petition to pre
sent from a poor man named John Hogan, residing in
Dare in the county of Limerick, and which made out
rather a curious case of hardship under which he was
suffering. He stated, in the petition, that his family,
a short time since, were in number four, and he, with
his son, were employed on the public works by the agents
of the Government. He had the misfot tune to lose one
of the members of his family—a daughter, and in con-
sequence of his loss he was dismissed from the works,
he and his son having been employed for some time on
them. His son only was retained. Under this
singular case of hardship he applied to the board
of relief, and their answer was that they
could not relieve him. The petition went on to say that
it was lamentable to allow such determined oppression
to be exercised upon a poor family who bail not a single
Perch
clh of o
landlocality
o
f whilst there were instances to be found in
people who had land and corn, and also
money in the savings' bank, working on these works, and
sent there by their landlords for the purpose of enabling
them to pay their rent better.
BAIL WAYS IN IRELAND.—ADJOURNED
DEBATE.
Colonel RAWDON presented a petition from Armagh
in favour of the Bill introduced by the Noble Lord the
Member for Lynn.
The Marquis of GRANBY hoped that the House
would extend its indulgence to him whilst he endea-
voured to make some observations upon the measure now
under the consideration of the nse
cildoeuelscidoreuldtoassur
the House that it was his anoxaious .
ab-
stain from saying anything which
personal feeling. He hoped that he mightexeite bae
• allowed to say, that he heard with the deepest
the determination which the Noble Lord at e
regret
t
head of the Government had come to respecting this
measure; for he had hoped from the assurance his Noble
Friend had given to the Noble Lord at the head of the
Government, that he proposed this measure, not in hos-
tility to her Majesty's Ministers, but as a means of faci-
litating the carrying out of the measures proposed by the
Government, it would have been favourably received by
the Government. The Noble Lord the Member for Lon-
don said he could not support the Bill, and also ex-
pressed his determination, if defeated on it, to resign.—
(Hear, hear.) He (the Marquis of Granby) was quite
sure the Noble Lord was actuated by high and
patriotic motives ; but he rez,retted the determi-
nation, as he believed it would be for the injury
of Ireland. He would not go into the comparative
merits of the measures of the Government and the Bill
now under consideration, as he did not think the two
schemes were incompatible. In considering any plan
of relief for Ireland, he would not enter into the causes
that had brought about the present state of that country.
Whether it had arisen from unwise legislation, or from
the conduct of absentee landlords—whether it arose
from any peculiarity of disposition in the Irish
people, or the system of letting land which
prevailed, he would not affirm; but this he would say,
that there were only two practical modes of meeting the
evil—either by a diminution of the population, or an
increase of capital. There was no other remedy.—
(Hear, hear.) Now the Noble Lord the Member
for the City of London had said, that he had no
Government or general plan of emigration. Though he
(the Marquis of Granby) thought a pled deal might be
done in that direction, still he did not think it would be
a cure for the evils wnich aftticted Ireland. Tito next
course, therefore, was to introduce capital into Ireland,
and as From the Mato of the country and the want of