The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-14 00:00:00

of Ireland. lie believed that the present Government
owed their existence to the support of the press. The,
press had placed them in power, and eoetinued to sup- 1
port them in power. The Irish Members would acknow-
ledge with gratitude the levying of a heavy tax on ab-
sentee landlords. The people were in a wrached state,
and were in many places consuming the seed potatoes—
so that any future crop would be entirely prevented.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD gave the Govern-
ment and the House every credit for their kind inten-
tions towards the people of Ireland. He was cf opinion
however that the proposed measure would be only par-
tia'ly beneficial. He wished to see such as 3 stem of
taxation in Ireland as would secure to the tenant-farmer
protection for his capital and skill when expended on
the improvement of his land. If they had that stake in
the land of Ireland, the tenant would not be in the dis-
tressed condition in which he is now found. With
regard
.to the proposition coetaineel in the Bill,
it did not appear to him that it would supply
a remedy for one disease alluritd to, he meant
the dangers which were to be apprehended from the in-
crease of dissentry, which the uze of the maize would be
almost certain to create, and which was generally caused
from the want of good food, and he was certain that the
Indian corn would produce it in Ireland. If the people
were accustomed to make it into bread, he was of opinion
it would not have that effect. These were the only ob•
servations he should make, that the measure could not
give that employment necessary to guard against the
evils which now afflicted the people of Ireland. They
should have measures which would give a stimulus to the
employment of capital for the improvement of land, and
at the same time give security to the tenant. It gAve
him great disappointment that no measure had as yet
been proposed, founded on the report of the Land Com-
missioners in Ireland, and he, in conclusion, would
earnestly impress on the Government the propriety and
ne?essity of bringing forward a measure such as was re-
commended in that report.
The Earl of MARCH said he should not address the
House on the measure of the Right Hon. Baronet, but
he thought it an incumbent duty to do so, as he dis-
agreed with her Majesty's Ministers on other subjects,
while he cordially agreed with them on the present.
The lion. Gentleman the Member for Limerick told
them that he would not throw himself on the generosity
of the English Government. He (the Earl of March)
entirely repudiated the idea that the English Govern-
ment, or the English people, were at all generous in
bringing forward the measure, as it was only their im-
perative duty to do so. But he did not like to hear
certain remarks made about the want of feeling on the
part of the English .people. Did the Hon. Gentleman
forget that in the year 1822, when great dis-
tress prevailed in Ireland, that there was a sum voted of
252,0001: to relieve that distress, and he would venture

to tell him in the name of the people of England, that
if her Majesty's Government came down to the House,
and said that it was necessary that 100,000/. should be
now voted to relieve such distress, there would be no
hesitation in granting it.—(Cheers.)
Mr. SHAW said that he thought the Right Hon.
Baronet had cast some imputation on the character of
Irish landlords. He deplored as much as any one pos-
sibly could, the injuries aris:ng from absenteeism, but
it aas useless to talk about a remedy until there was
first given security to life and property in Ireland.
With respect to the observations made by an Hon. Mem-
ber, that it would be better to keep the oats in Ireland
for the Irish people, he could not help saying that
he fully agreed with him in keeping the food
at home, which they were accustomed to use,
but he could not help saying, fir he felt it, that there
was great sympathy shown to the people of Ireland on
the present occasion. However, he thought it most un-
fortunate and unfair that the question of Irish famine
should be mixed up with the question of the corn-laws,
for he thought it had done great injury. There had
been very great exaggeration in the statements put for-
ward respecting the failure of the potato crop, and
though he did not mean to impute to the Government
that they made use of that failure for the purpose of
carrying their measure relative to the repeal of the corn-
laws, yet he believed they had been led away by strong
reports in the first instance, and took it as a part of' the
ground for introducing the measure, and found it after-
wards difficult to abandon that ground. He did not
mean to say that there was not scarcity, and even un-
usual scarcity, but at certain periods of the year there
was always scarcity and distress in Ireland : but he was
under the impression that that scarcity and distress was
exaggerated.--(Hear, hear.) lie took particular
pains to inquire, and he found that in the greater
portion of Ireland there was an average crop, but there
was a considerable scarcity this year notwithstanding,
for he was aware that great suffering existed in Ire-
land ; yet he would persevere in saying that that suf-
fering was considerably exaggerated. With regard to
the particular measure before the House, he would not
make the least objection to it, although he believed con-
siderable apprehension erieted en the subject of increas-
ing the present poor-rate, but he would give his support
to the measure.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the statement of the
Hon. Gentleman the Member for Kilkenny respecting
the sympathy of that House was not such as he could
agree with him in, for he (Lord J. Russell) was quite
sure that if there was one measure more than another
which would meet the wants of the Irish people, that
measure the Government and the House would adept, if
it was calculated to remove the distress which unhap-
pily prevailed in Ireland. He heard statements with re-
spect to the distress of the manufacturing dis-
tricts when 150,000/. was raised to remove
it—that a great deal of mischief had been done
by granting alms without a proper inquiry, and that
many persons had become paupers owiug to the want
of proper consideration and care being observed in dis-
tributing the money. The distribution of relief was re-
gulated by Mr. Christie, who was the gentleman chiefly
consulted ; and he (Lord J. Russell) should be disposed
to attach great importance to that gentleman's opinion,
and should be glad to be informed what were his re-
ports as to the extent of the failure, as he thought
it would be very satisfactory. It seemed to him
that the measure of the Government was prudent aril
beneficial, but still he thought they should have had the
opinion of a person so competent of judging. He quite
agreed with the Right Hon. Gentleman the First Lord
of the Treasury, that the Irish people should look more
to great public werks—such as, the formation ofrailroads—
for the relief of Irish distress, than to any temporary aid,
for he was quite sure that great works of the
kind would alone afford proper relief. He trusted that
the board of- guardians were adoptirg in every parish,
measures for the relief of distress—he meant the district
committees, that they had a communication from on the
subject.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that the report of the Commis.
sion was a report drawn up by the Committee of the
Government Commission.
Sir R. PEEL s lid that it would be seen in a few days
what her Majesty's Government were disposed to do,
and that they had not been led away by any strong re-
ports respecting the failure of the potato crop.
Lord HAMILTON could not conceive that the Go-
vernment would be so base as to use the awful state of
Ireland as an argument for a repeal of the
corn-laws, and he hoped he might say that be
represented a county where there were resident
landlords, who he was bound to say, aced fairly
towards their tenantry. He would have risen sooner,
when he heard a sneer about the landlords of Ireland
from the Honourable Member opposite (Mr. J. O'Con•
nell), as if he represented the Irish landlords. Why
did he not remain in that hall, where he was so fond of
abusing landlords, as no one asked him to come here ?
It would be better to make an honest application of that
fund which had been extracted out of the miseries of the
Irish people than to come there to make attacks upoii
the Irish landlords.
Mr. SHAW rose to explain that he did not say that
the Government were induced to propose the repeal of
the corn laws in consequence of the state of Ireland,
but the papers which would be produced would make no
impression on him.
Sir R. PEEL said that the papers which would be laid
on the table might have no impression on the Honourable
Gentleman, but all he could say was, that he had no
doubt but they would make a great impression on the
Horse ; and though the Hon. Gentleman had said that
the Government were deceived respecting the state of
Ireland, he had not the manliness to withdraw that
statement.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BERNAL very much regretted the discussion
which had taken place. They were all, be was sure,
' sympathising with the people respecting the distress
which prevailed in Ireland, and he heard with much
regret the remarks which had fallen from the lion.
Gentleman opposite (Mr. Shaw), and he begged of him
to suspend his judgment until Monday ; but he (Mr.
Bernal) did not want to suspend his judgment until
Monday, and he could not conceive why any Gentle-
man should be so malevolent and wicked as to endea-
vour to make a political question of such a measure.
He would appeal to the sober feeling of his Hon. Friend
opposite, and beg of him to throw aside all unworthy
sentiments in speaking on a question like the present,
for the Hon. Gentlemen who composed her Majesty's
Government would not be so base and wicked as, for the
sake of party purposes, to make use of a cause which
did not exist. The Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary
for the Home Department stated, from a report he had
received, caused by a general inquiry into the state of
the population in Ireland, that typhus fever was in..
creasing; and were they to stand still under such cir-
cumstances, and wait until employment supplied the
people with money by the erection of public works and
the formation of railways? Could they show him that
any portion of the poorer classes of the Irish people
had money in their pockets to enable them to pur-
chase the provisions which were indigenous to Ireland?
If there were a dearth in any district in England, would
it be sufficient to say to the starving inhabitants, wait
until we have railroads, and then yon will have relief
administered in the shape of wages. They must not
now stick fast at economical doctrines—something must
now be done—and that done quickly. Every one was
aware that the public works, for which Bills had been
granted, could not be proceeded with for months after
the passing of the grant. They must, therefore, have
recourse to extraordinary remedies where extraordinary
diseases exist. They surely were not to let the
people rot in pestilential hospitals. The Right
Hon. Baronet said that the endeavours of the
Government would be of little avail unles
they were seconded by the persevering efforts of the '
landlords. Well, then, what had they heard ? That
the efforts of the landlords could not be depended on
If such were the case—and was there reason to doubt
it ?—where could the unfortunate and starving pea-
santry of Ireland look to for relief ? For himself be
would say, he would give his most earnest support to
any measure which would have for its object the pre-
sent salvation of Ireland.—(Bear, hear.)
The CHA.NCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER ob-
served that although he did not wish:to detain the House,
he would beg to be allowed to correct the impression
that there had been on unnecessary delay on the part of
the Government in giving operation to those Bills which
had already received the sanction of the Government. '