The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-20 00:00:00

n the community.—( Heat.) Their habits rendered them
peculiarly averse to take refuge in the workhouse, and
when they did, it was generally to die.-- ( Hear, hear. )
It was in this class, chiefly, deaths from starvation occurred.
But he was at a loss to imagine how any Government could
have prevented such a state of circumstances. He was quite
ready to bear his testimony to the exertions which had been
*lade by the landed proprietors and the clergymen of different
denominations, as far as their means would permit, to alleviate
the sufferings of the poor; at the same time he would take the
liberty of saying, that it was the duty of the landed proprie-
tors, and of the clergy, and of all persons of influence, not to
confine their exertions to individual charity, but to do all they
could to prevent the existence of mischievous feeling.
He was sorry that the Member for Mayo was
not in his place. He was anxious to call
the attention of the House to a communication which had
only reached him that day, which would at once show the im-
perative necessity of strenuous exertions being used to pre-
vent the people from being made the victims of delusion.
The Right Honourable Gentleman then read the following
extract :--" I understand that in this county of Mayo an
organised combination exists, to discourage simultaneously the
celtivation of the soil. The people are informed, that if they
do so, they will compel the Government and Parliament to
maintain them."—( Hear, hear.) Now, he did think that he
liad a right to call upon every person, whether they were
landowners or clergymen, to endeavour, by every means in
their
power, to prevent such opinions being in-
stilled, and the people from being made the vic-
btims, of such a delusion ; the consequences of which
""'d be, that the state of the county Mayo in the next
Lear would be far worse than it was at the present moment.
body of men amounting to about "00, some armed, traversed
e country, swearing ah wham they visited not to attempt to
cultivate the soil."—( Hear.) Should this system be carried out
1° any extent, Mayo will be a perfect wilderness. When Ire..
nd c.alled, as she had an undoubted right to call t pon them
for
assistance, they had also a right to call upon the gentry to
cooperate with them, and prevent these poor people from pur-
ring a course of conduct which would lead to inevitable ca-
ItittnitY. He would say one word in reference to a subject which
hada been repeatedly adverted to during the course of the debate,
tmeant the conduct of the landlords of Ireland, with regard
° the exaction of their rents. He had watched with the most
intense anxiety the course adopted by them. He believed that
t!a was true that in parts of the country, especially in the north,
tere had been a number of civil bill processed for rent due, but
these were seldom at the instance of the head landlord, but alt
always at the suit of the middle man. He was afraid that
iti
1 some parts of the country a spirit evinced which all
should regret, but speaking generally, hewas was bound to say,
ti in his opinion they had exercised their rights with discre-
.--eon and liberality.—( Hear, hear.) As regarded the cottier
snants, their means of subsistence having wholly failed, by
reewasoeo of the potato failure, he was proud to say that the land-
In of Ireland had behaved with the utmost generosity.
the county of Cavan matters had also progressed favourably.
aeit:trat before him the report of the assistant-barrister, Mr.
Made to
P Y, in answer to
him
as to the state
inquiries he (Mr. Labouchere) had
it was as follows :
` The number of ejecot%tehaosf dhiscreeoausnetsiderably within the
loarst
e.tewto or three years. In this sessione not one-half the number
the landed usually sued out have been so. On the whole,
ateed:nhoe?Pirdnprieeee,
Membered elas'
nd,,inco,n3 had acted with kindness and forbearance,
place Lord Farnham at their head. With regard
of Ile of tenants perfectly solvent, who, be it constituted a very considerable part of the tenantry
his opinion, they were bound to make them pay
theitrs rents, otherwise how could it be expected that they
cotnetou contribute all they ought to the assistance of their
nortiesede:ttitaunte fellow-countrymen. He would not detain the
Y great length. The element of bitterness had
been thrown into the discussiun, but he hoped that it would
not draw them into a protracted debate.—(
Hear, hear.) With
respect to the request of the Member for Fermanagh, the
they found that they could not consent to it. Such was the im-
portance of the Irish business, that they could not postpone it.
Mr. JOHN O'CONNELL said that the state of Ireland
!'olild not admit of much delay in discussion, but he thought
it was due to the Irish Members to say that the bitterness did
taunts from the consideration of the feeling which had been
mnanifested by all parties—a feeling which did honour to the
te juntrY--he could tell the Hon. Baronet the Member for
arylebone, that any state charity which could be given to
them by the House did not equal—could not equal—nay, could
not
b ,aPP roach the amount of which
(Allreand had been defrauded
there tne iniquitous Act of Union.— laugh.) He knew that
here would be a laugh, but he was not there to make such an
dassertion without being ready to prove it. He would not then
etain the House, but he would take an opportunity
do so. And further, the repeal rent, in the
recent prosecution of the leaders of the Irish people, had
been found efficacious in securing justice to those whom the
Government of that day endeavoured to oppress and put down.
TheY had to wage a legal war against all the power the
Government most unscrupulously employed, but the shillings
made poor peasants defeated all the attempts which were then
ade. He was not prepared to go into all the items then, but
this he would state, the rent had done much in disseminating
information among the people, and in securing them justice.
The Hon. Member had also attacked repeal as a phantom. It
might be such, but this he would say, that the present state of
Ireland, brought about by the Government that have ruled
that country, was a frightful reality. They had taken
away the Irish Parliament ; they had oppressed and enslaved
the Irish people, and now this feartul retribution had over-
taken them. The most fearful destitution had overtaken Ire-
land, and they must rest assured they had not yet seen the end.
They would not only have to subscribe large sums of money,
but the distressed population would come over in thousands,
spreading pestilence among the people of this country ; and all
the attempts they might make would not prevent them from
coming. It was thus they would suffer fur the wrongs they had
inflicted on Ireland. Let them read the statements of Lieute-
nant Caffin, contained in the papers of that morning, as a ape-
eimen of the condition of Ireland. That was from an Eng-
lishman, though daily the Irish Members were receiving much
worse accounts, bad as that was. He had thought it neces-
aaey to make this explanation to the House after the attack
which had been made by the lion. Member for Marylebone,
Mr. H. GRATTAN remarked that the Hon. Member for
Marylebone had said a great deal about the subscriptions got
op for Ireland in a manner derogatory to the people of that
country. It would have been better if he had remained
Silent. He had also made strong insinuations against the
Repeal rent, and that subscription he (Mr. Grattan) must
say was at least better than several in which the Hon.
Member had himself been engaged. He recollected, some
raeago, reading an account of a subscription got up for
ta electioneering purposes, in which that Hon. Member's
ladown
Te es
appeared, and it seemed also that he had seduced four
pormernconneeted with himself into subscribing to the same
Irish
era e one with which
se.e7ejLaughter) Surely a subscription to liberate the
nected.
,Furtmhearke
r e was more Praiseworthy and laudable than the
'bald tohseay(,
Grattan) did
did he know of a single
, ith regard to the repeal rent, he (Mr.
,allt)o had been con-
his knowledge,
person
,aStliiirtabtßnw.ebveeHrm
get a single en
terests of p ny of it. It was applied to advance the in-
he was connected
saw2sothe people of Ireland ; and this he knew, that ha
00 I. of it. paid to defend leaders of the Irish
the
people when the late G
tly the Stateattempted to crush them
Government
Hon.
to for I prosecutions.—( Hear, hear.) The
ie a nverness (Mr. Willie) had talked a good deal
" feemer debate about the exertions of Lord Macdonald
and Macleod of Macleod in the isleofSky. They had
asex-
ps:neled, it was stated, about ')5 000/ b not a word was
tt to whether or no u
appeared, ado led it had been repaid. They had also
that was nothing to an economical system of cookery, but
what was
they proposed to proposed for Ireland, as there
writte cook out of • 11 They had
nothing at a .
n from Ireland to send receithem over some of the best soup
Club and he had been
ReformP
Club that were economical supplied with some from the
retbe
that in the event of the Nnuobtilgh. So good, indeed,
were
thee Goy.:
vernment resigning he w e Lord at the head
should he made Prime So er
Aould suggest that Monsieur
him
guard the Hon. and LearnleTis\ter.—(Laughter. )0f
this Let fact.hl
been plan was the case? Why, Member be r
wholefor Bath
of the money had
b was
ip2usn4ged into the Caledonian Canal.—(Laughter.) There
grant ,OJOL given as a grant, not as a loan,. but as x
, and then there was 306,0001. Yes,
this wasthe paid for repairs.
Ministry know that the best way to get into Scot-
* bed was, as in the time of the Stew arts, by
bridi gold, and they had built not less than a thousand
h_arges in that country within the last few years.—( Hear,
) He had always said that he would support the Noble
Lord and he only deeply regretted that the Irish
r,r misers had not supported him. He did regret this, and
that the unconstitutional threat—for such he should ever con-
sidere it—lead been held out of leaving the helm of Government.
babiTi?uld not have said so much, but that this was in all pro-
for some he last opportunity which the Irish Members would
wiltime have of saying a word on the affairs of Ireland.
let at was the pitiful sum which had been granted between the
January, 1646, and the first day of the next year, for the
relief of starving multitudes ? It was only 113,0001.,
out of the 53,000,000 of national income. Then a great cry
hhad been made against the Irish landlords, but how could they
elp themselves, for he could state, that in one inetanee, a gen-
F7lman who was entitled to 5,000/. for rent, could not get
°Ol. There were some Irish landlords who did not do their
duty, and he would tell them who they were. The absentee
Proprietors of Queen's county derived a rental of 25,5781., and
the property of the resident proprietors was estimated at 4,5301.
Now, what was the relative amount of the sbscriptio subscriptions of
these two parties ? Why, the subscriptions u
of those who
held 4,5001. of property, contributed 4591., while the con-
tribution of the absentees was only 2081. Such was the
contrast offered by those landlords, who did their daty and
those who did not. The Right lion. Gentlemen the Secretary
for Ireland, had talked of intrm'ucing 6,101b5. of flax seed into
Ireland, but what probability was there that such a proceeding
would bo of any benefit to a country where the people were
starving. The whole amount of the money granted for the
relief of Ireland was 3,551,2021., while all the money which
had been advanced under Mr. Labouchere's letter was only
77,000/.; so that in fact, it had turned out that the private
subscriptions far exceeded the amount of the public grants.
What then became of the acerbities of the Hon. Member for
Bath? What became of his taunts and his allegations against
the Irish Members ? Why it was evident that they were alto-
gether groundless, for no man ever came into court with a less
knowledge of his brief, no lawyer ever made out a worse ease
than he had done, and the consequence was, as he deserved to
be on the present occasion, he was nonsuited. The
truth was, that this was a Divine visitation, and no
doubt they were justly punished for their offences, and
no acts of any set of men could have obviated it.
The same circumstances had occurred in 1800, when Mr.
Pitt had written his celebrated letter, when he ascribed
them to the visitation of Providence, and Mr. Wilberforce had
opinion. expressed the same The people of Ireland were
starving, and the Noble Lord had talked of opening depots for
food, but what bad been the case, as it had been shown by the
Hon. Member for Mayo, that between November and January
been only ten depots had opened, and the small sum of
146,000/. was all that had been spent in providing
the pro.
visi
ons for starling mi • With these observations he
should conclude the remarks which he had to make to the
Rouse, and be did so with a sincere expression of his thanks
for the patience and indulgence with which he bad been
listened to by the House.
Mr. ROEBUCK said that when he came down to the
House he had understood that there was a press of business be-
fore the House to-night, and he came down with the expectation
that that business was to carry forward certain Bills for the relief
of the Irish poor. When he came down to the House, the
non. Member fur Mayo (Mr. Dillon Browne) was stating a
number of cases of excessive suffering in his county. Then
the Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Lefroy) did the same
thing. Then some altercation followed, and then came the
observations of the Hon. Member for Meath (Mr. Grattan),
full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. But they were
told that the people of Ireland were strong, and the Hon. Gen-
tleman had begun by speaking about fire to show that the
People of Ireland were in distress. But if the matter was not
t.es be regularly brought forward, it was a pity that the English
Members had been brought down to discuss tt.e subject under
such circumstances. He thought it was due to his own
countrymen, and to their countrymen in Ireland, to discuss
this subject with temper, and to bring it forward as fairly as he
eould before the House. And in doing this, he thought
theredeeply lament the distressing circumstances which had
occurred in Ireland ; nor was there one who had risen in his
Place who had attempted to deny the existence of the distress,
tr
r oho would refire to TOW fOr any plume that might tend