The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-30 00:00:00

tither •
manufactures or capital, yet possessed a popu-
lationequal to that of countries which possessed both.
I)__enrractetnent remedies were to be found in other re-
s• The only ground upon which he had to
Itwas
ataheir Lordships' assent to this measure was. that
offthse an important and indispensable palliative
evils existing in that country. Before
ke stated to their Lordships what the Bill was, ho would
state to them what it was not. The present Dill was
Zoznata Bill carferring a general, indiscriminate, and per-
nent right to outdoor relief in Ireland. If such
were the
to Propose case he should be the last person in the House
xnea7opose to their Lordships the adoption of the
+l, tire, because he believed that a measure of
that nature would be fatal to the property, and, above
14111, to the character of the people of that country.—
er' hear.) The immediate effect of such a measure
Would be to diminish the' number and amount of the
producers,' already too small, and to increase the num-
er and amount of the consumers, already too large, and
3,t would tend also to destroy the relations which exist
!,
the
ethe country between landlord and tenant, and bring
:an country into such a state that nothing but evil would
'ac• To meet the evils attendant upon such a
measure it would be necessary to have a power to compel
etarties to produce, as the poor would by the operation
diminished
a measure be otherwise left to share a
Thshed produce. Such would, in his opinion, he the
inevitablezaos result of such a measure, and he was, therefore,
whiptedeeei,dedlY averse to the petition, the prayer of
Lisa just been read to the house, the effect of
etch lreland waoulstill d be
greater to throw
burden uponthan they the landlor
l)
alrea ds of
_
r
Were•wa compelled to Lear. The object of that petition
8 the most preposterous that had ever been sub-
-14-utect to the consideration of their Lordships.
but if their Lordshs would act wisely, they would con-
alder that Divine law which controlled and regulated all
affairs, The dictum of the pious French author was—
it -*Timber that it is man that proposes, that
Olin God that disposes." If their Lord
-es neglected that Providence which governed the
,ourse of society, they would certainly repent their
4!gislation, and reeret the evils inflicted by their deci-
111°n, evils irreparable. He would, therefore, state his
pro-
ceeding opinion of the present measure boldly ; but, before
to that he would allude to one observation. It
Might be said, if he entertained so great jealousy, and
10 great mistrust of that kind of relief which was called
bhaaTan oyrseterm of out-door relief, which many were anxious to
yeg enacted, if he thought it a principle which was so
us, so calculated to divert from industry, and to
increaseaeptleter which
o n rely
in
a q
poverty,
vv askedeterte' ,so mischievously adapted to the Irish
was unhappily unhappily marked for 'a great
charity,—if he saw all that evil,
Itr
i!un legihl
fiee
d could
degree proposeas it w as
adopted, adopting
p
the measure proposed by the Government. It was true
that the principle of out door relief
liet:was surrounded by
evils. But their Lordshipsin- legislating for any evil
tmusts habits a a' aaynsdl 7tosk
system,
to thre previous
o de character of the nation,
No Noble Lord hearing him but rto
mustprovide
toa trbe
em ed
con.y
elusion that in order telprovide, a remedy which should
ffect the good of Ireland for the future, they must
itcontemplate a great and permanent change in the pur-
suits
to direct
habits of society.—(Cries of n Hear, bear.")
ftr 0 direct action, to regulate it, to make it safe and
cu °EI?, must be the object of their Lordship's House.
L'lute districts must be affected in that change—dis-
ri.e
sts.that had hitherto beets only subjected to the spade
te submitted to the plough, and whole croe ds of
arsonsb depending on the accidents of nature for their
subsistence, and losing that if nature failed, must be
V__4intged. Nor was it only the lower classes that
too be subjected to the change; the proprietors
must submit to the change.—(ldear, hear.)
The present state of things must give way to a more
•unteroved
The system,
but he denied that the legislation or
,„ __s anded property of Ireland were amenable for the
ent calamity which prevailed in that country. For
pot endeavoured to prevent the growth of the
the legislature of the country and the people
It old h an attempt.
have made a just outcry against such
the as Only, therefore, by stimulating the landlords and
eypeasants of Ireland to increased exertions that these
...11s could be remedied. It would be idle to attempt to
-Ate ;
❑ what time the great changes which were desired
could be effected ; but he thought that during the time
feoi the transition it was incumbent upon them to provide
for the disorders which might occur during that time ;
a
fo-‘`-arri°°g the most prominent of these was to provide
where
who would be thrown out of employment. Now,
re were these persons to find assistance and support?
mho could be found to devise a measure calculated to
meet
all the contingencies consequent upon these casual,
but certain disturbances ? But unless the Parliament
d
thewh Government of the country took some steps,
e
If the poor people were exposed to all the horrors
1n famine, they would be accused of negligence,
or erence, and even with inhumanity. Their
Lordships had seen great calamities in Ireland
wring
the course of the present year, and they had seen
u.'_calamities met by a degree of liberality which, he
thatw Id 2 say, did honour to human nature. He would say
nh lee h was the
these calamities had called forth that sympathy
did not inquire whether
jewel which sat in the head of adversity.
I
the object of charity was
CelliEnglish, Catholic or Protestant, a Saxon or a
• e-r
Influenced by such considerations, he was happy to
f.aT•
itnist those vile and miserable distractions was fast
✓on t. 7. away, in despite of the wicked and base endea-
efts. "f some,—(Hear, hear.) That sympathy had
co sod the Atlantic, and had called forth, partly from
launity of sentiment, and partly from a community
Of institution, an amount of exi rtion which had produced,
he believed, millions upon millions of dollars which, ex-
Pendel in food, he had only yesterday been informed,
nad had a remarkable effect, in all the ports of Ireland,
in reducing the price of food, and relieving the distress
Which was so dreadfully prevalent. Among those
Who had exerted themselves the most—those
Who had been pre-eminent—who had been ever
distingiliahed for their exertions in the cause of charity,
and tor the numerous instances of benevolence which
they had performed—were the Quakers. -,- (Cheers.)
Now, no one, even those who were most remarkable for
the force and power of their intellect, have ever been
able to suggest any provisional remedy for this trouble
during the state of transition, which did not embrace
some system of out-door relief. He trusted that their Lord
ships had made themselves acquainted with the provi-
sions of the Bill; and the principle which it was now
his duty to propose was, that under certain modified
provisions, out-door relief would be administered to the
able bodied poor. By the first clause of that Bill (which
Ilia Lordship read), it was decreed that it was advisable
that in certain cases of destitution relief should be granted
to the able-bodied poor. By the second clause it was
decreed that, although these cases should receive instant
relief, yet it was subject to the discretion of the Poor-
law
Commissioners to regulate this relief. It might be
granted only for a period of two months, but if sufficient
cause be shown then that further relief, the amount of
Which was to be defined by the Poor-law Commissioners
might be granted. It was proposed that out-door relief
,should only be administered when the poor-house would
°a full, and this he considered would operate as a check
against any considerable abuse. It was also provided,
that with respect to all those whose yearly rent was
'4ll"e 41., the rate should be equally divided between the
landlord and the tenant. There was another consider
Ittion also, which, in addition to the great calamity which
11" existed in Ireland, induced him to assent to this
measure, which was the general, but greatly misrepre-
cze nted, though not unnatural, complaint made in that
e'rentrY respecting the absentees. He thought, however,
were other places in this empire where absenteeism
existed to as great an extent as in many parts of Ire-
lu• Another point in this Bill was that relieving officers
were
aointed to relieve cases of great destitution ;
but his superintendence would be under the
surveillance of the guardians, and he did
9.0 t apprehend that any mismanaement would result
from this clause. Now this clause g
restrained the giving
of relief to any one possessed of more than a quarter of
a*o acre of land. The 11th clause made the expenses
after a certain rate per pound chargeable on the union
at large, and this clause he apprehended would effect
much good, as ho thought it would stimulate employ-
raent, and might operate to prevent the injury towards
towns where the poor crowded in to procure employ-
ment. The clause for facilitating emigration by enabling
the guardians to levy one-third of the expense off the
union at large would, he considered, have a most bene-
ficial effect. The Noble Marquis after referring to some
other clauses, said that there were other measures
to go along with this .Bill, and among them was
a vagrant Act. Their Lordships would see that
it would be necessary to accompany it with such
measures as would tend to improve the condition of the
country. Besides this Bill there was a measure for the
cultivation of waste lands, and the Landed Property
Bill, from both of which he anticipated the best results.
There were other measures in addition, which, though
of a subordinate, were not of an immaterial nature.
There was a measure for the erection of piers, the im-
provement of the fisheries, and the establishment of the
curing stations; and he was happy to say, with regard to
these latter, that since their establishment, two months
ago, they had paid all expenses, and acted as a great
stimulus to the industrial exertion. Besides these, it
was proposed to advance a sum of 620,0001. to stimulate
the enterprise of the country, by advances to railways.
It was to these measures, and to the improvements
which they would effect, that their Lordships
Must look as a palliation for the evils of
reland, and for the foundation of that permanent
good which they all desired for that country.
Ile was painfully reminded of the contrast which existed
Between that scene of imperial splendour by which they
were surrounded, and the depths of that abyss of misery
for which they were sailed upon to adopt some measures
(IPermanent relief. All that he prayed of their Lord-
ships was, that they would look with a clear and undaz-
tlu eye from those splendid heights at the prospects of
want
the and destitution which pervaded a great portion of
, People for whom they were called on to legislate. No
could doubt the existence of that distress, and
tol4ol existin it was the solemn duty of their Lordships
provide against. The Noble Marquis resumed his
seat amid loud applause.
Lord CLANCAItiTY said that he thought that the
question was one which required the greatest considers-
tiihun• He felt great regret in rising to move the amend-
ment
entof which he had given notice. Millions of money
been squandered by the Labour-rate Act, and that
was at the very time when it was necessary that all the
energies
of the country should have been directed to the
cultivation of the land. This was one of the evils which
"lilt' its origin in ;hasty and inconsiderate legislation.
e did not ever consider that the principle of the Bill
"s good. The first section gave an option of relief in
c„),roout of the workhouse, to all save the able-bodied.
• w this clause would cause the workhouse to be re-
v(t)led as a prison—as a place of punishment, by those
En misfortune had reduced to the necessity of seeks
lug aid, Thisthat should not be the ease ; he considered
suistsewho received out-door relief would be_ bette!.
„e to accept the minimum of relief sooner than go
01;1' '° workhouse. With regard to the I Ith section of
49 A", it entirely did away with the charge upon 119