The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY_SIORNING, MARCH 9, 1847.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 8.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
shortly after laco'cloclc.

IRISII DISTRESS.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM wished to ask the
Noble Marquis (Lan,downe) whether he had any objec-
tion to lay on he table of the House, from time to time,
reports of the expenditure of the money allowed by
Government for the relict of Irish distress ?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had no objection to
lay a return before the House of the amount graned by
Government, but was uncertain as to the possiuility of
stating the expenditure, at least for some time to come.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM wished to know what
was done with the money collected under the Queen's
letter.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the subscriptions,
under the Queen's letter, were not strictly under
the supervision of Government, but he believed that, as
the money was collected, it was from time to time trans-
mitted to Ireland, and there di:ponsed under the super-
vision of a coniini!tep; but he did not speck otilcially, for
the reason to which he had allud,d.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGII said that it was
plain that some per son ought to be responsible fur the
management of this subscription, but the Government
appeared to have introduced a new system.
The Marquis of LAN,DOWNE was quite willing to
afford eve!y information in his power upon the sulject
The Earl of ELLENHOROUGH
conceived that it
was plainly evident that some one person ought to have.
the uirtction, and be responsible for the distribution of
this fund.

IRISH PAUPERS.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
Lord Provost, magistrates, and town-council of Glasgow,
complaining of the influx of Irish paupers into Glasgow,
and praying
also had a statement in his hand from the rnagis-
for an efficient poor-law for Ireland. fie
trates of Liverpool, from which it appearedthat, on Wednesday last, 1,778 paupers arrived
in Liverpool ; on Thursday, 1,081; and on Friday,
2,o36—making, on an average, for the three days,
between 1,600 and 1,700 perm ns. The consequence of
this state of things was that typhus fever and disease
was rapidly spreading through that town. He also had
a statement from several persons in Ireland, complaining
of the very great misery to which the people were
reduced, and the inadequate assistance they received
from those from whom they ought to have received it.
The non-resident lauded pr.( prietors of one parish that
gave them a rental of 25,587/. just contributed the sum
of 208/. for the relief of the distress. In a parish near
Cork three-fourths of the inhabitaws were paupers, all
the landlords were non-resident, and not a farthing of
relief had the relief committee of the parish been to
get from them. The wealthy barristers in Dublin, who
receive 5004 a year did not even answer the application.
though some of his own tenantry were on the public
works. A high dignitary of the Church, in the receipt
of 45i I. a year, contributed the munificent sum of 1/.
(Laughter.) And the secretary of the committee wrote
to him again, stating he must have made a mistake, but
was informed in reply that it was no such thing—
that he had made no mistake, and would give no
more.—(Laughter.) He had a statement also from
Ballina, respecting which place he made some
remarks a few evenings ago, and was then told by a
Noble Earl, who he regretted to see was not in his
place, that the ejectments to which he then referred
were only suits for rent, and not summary proceedings.
He found, however. that at the last quarteresas.sions in
Tyrawley, on the 11th January. there were from
1,500 to 2,000 ejectment processes entered, at the
suit of sixteen or eighteen landlords, for rent due
at November last, and for the over-due rent of 1846.
The Noble Lord further read several extracts from

documents which he had received ; one from the parish
priest of Tyrawley and 13sDina described the injurious
effect which processes brought for non-payment
of rent had upon the ppulation. It stated that
out of a parish of one thousand persons,
in September last, the writer did not expect to hav,i, 200
remaining in August next. lie also read several letters
describing the jobbing winch had been carried on in the
appointment of (deers in the Board of Works.
LordiDEVON said, that as scrutineers were required,
it was therefore necessary to appoint responsible

persot s.
Lord BROUGHAM said that he perfectly agreed in
the justice of the observation. The statements which
he read were more showy than satisfactory, but they
were useful; for if they did not look most carefully to
the expenditure of the public money, this demand for

it would never cease.
The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL objected :to the
course pursued by the Noble Lord, in reading state-
ments to the House, yet refusing to give the au-
thorities substantiating them. He did so the more
especially as they contained such serious charges.
If such an occurrence had taken place recently, there
would have been full inquiry. If it had occurred twenty
years ago, it might have been suppressed, but if it had
occurred recently it would have been published
far and near. The county of Cork was one of
the most peaceable and well-conducted counties

---
in Ireland. If, then, the ejection of a large body
of people should have made so great a wise, how
was it that the ejection of a larger number was
passed off so silently 2 He could say, from his own know-
ledge, that the gentry there had not spared themselves,
and though he regretted to find so small a subscription,
yet he was not at all surprised at it. Ile ascribed it to
the circumstance that the landlords were sort ly pressed
by their creditors. lle knew that they were in great
difficulty; and, though he lamented the smallness of this
subscription, he thought the circumstance was sufficiently
explained by the fact which he had just stated.
Lord BROUGHANI felt it hard that he should be
complained of because he had, in the first instance, refused
the manes of the parties of whom he spoke, and still more
that he should have been now complained of that he did
give those names. He would now read the name of the
gentleman who had furnished him with the information
which he had used. That was Edward Howe
Vernon, of the Sligo Champion, and he thought
there was ample reason to speak of the
paucity of the assistance which had been
rendered by the Irish landlords when he found in
one district a contribution of only 2001. from proprietors
of estates which yielded an income of 28,5001. a year.
He still withheld, and as he thought advisably, the
names of the clergymen with whom he had been in

communication.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY conceived that it
was not right thus to run down the Irish landlords,
for they had under the difficult circumstances in which
they were placed done all that they could. In the
County Down there was considerable distress, and he
knew that, what from marriage settlements, mortgages,
and the various obligations to which property was
liable, but little came to the hands of the landlord. In
the town of Down—not in the district—there was ex-
cessive distress, and he had been the first to head a
subscription for the establishment of a soup kitchen,
but the clergy had rather discountenanced the
project, from the belief that it would draw the
poor from other districts, and so increase the distress,
If the Noble Lord (Brougham) did right he should pro-
pose a Select Committee to inquire into how the Irish
landlords had:behaved in the present state of that country.
Such a course would be much more proper than
to indulge in these indiscriminate tirades, the materials
of which were furnished to him by interested and evil-
disposed persons,w ho were quite regardless of truth in the
statements they made, and were influenced by the most
improper feelings towards those who were involved in
these statements.
After a tew words in explanation from Lord BROUGHAM
and the Marquis of LoNDoNDEnar,

The subject dropped.
THE CRIMINAL LAW.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
Corpora-
tion of Kingston-on-Hull, confirming the complaints made in
the petition lately presented from the magistrates of Liverpool
on the subject ot the amendment of the criminal law. Tsix
cases which the petitioners cited were exactly similar to the
fourteen cases enumerated in the Liverpool petition, each of
whom had been committed nine times before sentence ot trans-
portation was passed upon them. He would new, in accord.
ance with the notice he had given, move for a Select Com-
mittee to examine into the subject of the execution of criminal
law, and particularly with regpect to its operation on juvenile
offenders. He was sure the result would be favourable to the
views he already expressed on the subject, and the recom-
mendation of the Committee would be that transportation, if
not altogether suspended. should be considerably modifed.
Lord STANLEY said that upon this subject—that of cri-
minal punishment—he hoped to hear an explanation as to what
he entertained an opinion more
was the intention of the Government re.peeting transportation.
He understood that it was V eir desire to suspend the unish-
ment of transportation for two years without applying pupa -
lheniFeruitend. But to suspend it for two
liament for its sanction for such a proceeding. With regard to
y transportation
favourableearsseemed
ee m
et
hda t
than
shh aii
stinPNutio'oibBbe an experiment of such a magnitude
as should not be attempted without applying to Parliament •,
and, in his opinion, it would be a serious abuse of the preroga.
tive of the Crown. He hoped the Government would intro-
duce a Bill, and thus afford an opportunity to'loth Houses to
discuss the measure.
Earl GREY said that since the year 1843 no convict ,
with
sen-
tenced to transportation for seven years had the sentence car-
ried into effect, the criminal was confined to the hulks, orasheandt
namely theThpelaic,:,nawlhlearheenovnewpeaurhtihofe
in.
to Bermuda. Although he considered transportation as
control
convict
punishrrent, yet he was aware that it had its attendant advan-
tage. The Noble Lord had mistaken the intention of the Government. Transportation would not be abolished, it -
continue to be the
cseanonmuadt
nneut
country
under precisely
nd
er
igeibuten tt
eeoinni
sentence
eidni
shouldff e
thist e n chee,
observa-
tion of the Government, where they would
and check the abuses which took place, 3 a butme control
would be discharged in Australia, under the
was placed by the present system. Therefore he
ventured trot as he
"thiet wasil maetdiparteesent would
say, that the change was not so substantial as to make it
to
sary for them to apply to Parliament. The more e it neces-
it was perfectly competent for her Majesty's Governmentspecially as
make it without any Act of Parliament upon the subject. to
Lord BROUGHAM protested against the law a
by his Noble Friend. He denied th power of thelaid down
would suppose an Act of Parliament requiring a Crown. He
one brindred and twenty-one years' transportation,punishment of
de-
sired to know was it competent to impri,on him now he
hun-
dred and twenty years, and transport hint fni.
the for one
portion of the time. The principle was the remaining
ap-
plied to any period of time lie admitted that an same
as
Act was passed, some fifteen years,
power to the executive in a certain class of which gave a
cases.
he referred to was the sth George IV, eh The Act
chapter 83.
could doubt the power of the Crown to pardon No man
e • ttpi
But if it be legal for the Cr own to oversettal offences.
every
the inhabitants of Bridport, who intrusted punishment,
him with the pre-
sentation of a petition praying for the abol. •
ent of death, had mistaken their abolition of the
ap-
pliedpunish-
ment
at once to the executive. way, they should have
Lord CAMPBELL said that, asst
con-
sidered that all that his Noble Friend
proposed to do might be
present advised, he
effected without any Act of Parliament.
T
which had been adopted wag, in every case of transportation
general rule
for a period of seven years, the Government didt ransportation
tint carry it
into effect. Now no one ever objected to such a
practice, and,
o
he considered that the rule applied to fourteen,
% twenty years. It was most desirable that the House should