The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-25 00:00:00

people out of doors the greater necessity for the carrying of
this measure,—(Clicers. ) And the only thing that can pos-
sibly be seibstituted for the proposition of the Right Wm.
.Baronet evill be the immediate repeal of the cornsletn instead
of the three years' delay which he lees proposed
(Ch9,ers.) And when I hese- the I`7rissie Lord, the Member
for Lynn (Lord G. lientinckls liaising in the svay in which
'lie does, with all }hat unconec ousness in using arguments that
)1) ave been often refute.', which must arise from his having
sigivin his attention exclusively to other subjects for the
.last twenty years—(clear, hear, and laughter)—and which
'has made 1-am wholly unscquainted with public measures._
(Continued laughter.) When I hear him talking that way,
rand when I hear him boasting of being backed by 240 of the
"Ventlemeer of England—when I hear them cheering when he
'talk', that 'way—why, when I nee such a grievous and ridi-
Jealous de'iusion existing in the minds of Honourable Gentlemen i
or this House, and stating that thet delesion is the public, 1
s/juices' on this subject—l do feel anxious that if it were pot-
91bbi t'ne Right Hon. Baronet could appeal to the country—
rCheers, and counter-cheers from the protectieeists)—with-
"vat any great inconvenience to the trade of the country—
:(Laughter from the protectionists)—without any ine,on-
-veneence to the private business of this House, I do say that I
foil anxious that you should appeal to the country on this
.leuestion. —(Loud cheers.) The country will make
'such an example of Honourable Gentlemen of the
'country party as they do not anticipate.—( Loud cheers )
tThe proposition of the Hon. Gentleman is to open the ports
for Ireland. Now, has he considered the practical effect of
lopening the ports for Ireland, leaving the ports shut in
-•t; ngland?--( Cheers. ) Has he not given us the details of a
irleasfire which he has in preparation to be brought in by
Ihneeli and the Noble Lord opposite, the Member for Lynn?
I suppose then he will have some contrivance to prevent the
sintrodeiction of provisions from Ireland into England.—
(Heer, hear.) Because, if he is not prepared with some plan
bf this sort, seeing that we have no custem-houses between
'the two istands, there is no possible means of preventing the
:free :eirculatioti of American corn by iubstituting Americanh(
rovisiorsi for Irish provisions brought into this country. The
is.
teloble Lord has told us that in Ireland what is wanted
Money, and not provisions' and I have heard the assertion
often repeated both by the Noble Lord and some of his sup-
porters who sat around him. Now. if I understand the state
&of things in Ireland rightly, there is a positive defieien cy in
the necessaries of life; and has there not been a. partial,if not
ssa total failure, of the potato crop, which forms the staple food
'of millions of the people of Ireland? I presume there is no one
here bold enough to deny that proposition. How, then, will
money supple' a 'deficiency of food ? If the people of Ireland
had gold in equal proportion to tleeir perishing potatoes, it
would not supply them with fend. Oh, but, it is said, you
have plenty of corn, had you money to purchase it ; and be-
Cantle you have not that money, this corn is bring sent to
England. Now, do I understand the Hon.- Member rightly ?
Has he a proposit:on for stopping that corn being sent to Eng-
land? If he Ines. what are the millions of people, who depend
ktePon the lc 000,000 of Irish provisions, which the Noble
~ P •
el the Alember for Lynn says annually come from Ire-
land. ''o do for their food ? The Honourable Member
'simerick leaves the people of England out of the ques-
. 4,Tsr4ii 'altogether, and is endeavouring to stop the pro-
n.. trts-ss 6P-the measure of the Right Honourable Baronet.
' 12.1 e iletryiirg, by a compact with the Noble Lord the Member
• ailkr.Lynu, twhrve:a bread-tax upon 'the people of England,
bile he opens the ports for Ireland. . But I will not detain the
gulp by going into arguments to shire that Ireland. as well
Erig'and, would be'benefited by a repeal of the corn-laws.
4Vhenever I wanted a stronger appeal than another to make to
4116 people of England, I produce the greatest effect when I
seinstance the case of Ireland. You say yourselyes that those
„people are living upon water-cresses, sea-weed, and turnip-tops,
:',l!te.cl is not this sufficient to prove that the corn-laws have been a
',nurse rather than a benefit to them? I agree with my Hon.
''friend the Member for the county of Cork, that the repeal of
"the corn-lavis will have the effect of -extending manufactures in
:4reland. They had the best possible proof of this.
Establish free-trade in corn, and you open a trade
'across the Atlantic, with the 'United States of
-America. A people with these advantages must he idle
4ittideed not to avail themselves of it. The Irish people, bow-
,ever, are not idle, they are enterprising, and will avail them-
selves; if the opportunity is given them, of the natural adyan-
Itges and facilities which their country presents for extending
llift**orneserce and manufacture. Manufactures will spring
4 _ ci6tlhe west covet of Ireland beside those splendid streams
':=abound there, if you only enable them to purchase
*Siatikekeitarn from America. and to open an unrestricted trade
04stlie Atlantic. I feel most anxious not to trespass upon
t
itre,
laltof the House now. I have intruded but seldom in
...nann.,
_!]„,.'' for I am anxious not to he a party to any proceed-
ss.. tigit *iy slelarthe-progreeenetteeisitif IR; Coercion Bill or
4.41', , air Woctittyeg?efi.iiidet.ti,i!fit these two measures
4.., 'la OrneTintqCoutpe.tition with etteh' other, and I am quite
, re tliat the PeCidirof. England are vexed and distressed at it.
urifirthe recens.rwas called upon repeatedly to hold great
.410blin meetings- in Manchester, and in London, in order to re-
Inonstrate upon the delay occasioned by this debate, but the
• uestion I asked myself was, " Who shall we remonstrate with ?"
't
did net know who to blame, nor do I now ; I can't blame the
Overnment, because if I were disposed to do so, I see they are
already Yearned so much that I cannot add to the load the
l'reight of my, censure. Then again, I have no right to blame
he Members Ireland, for it is not for me to judge as to the
exte•et to which they deem it to be their duty to oppose the first
'ding of this Bill. I leave them to be the sole judges, be-
.use I should claim the same right myself, of the course and
lielicy which they ought to adopt. I deeply regret, never-
thelesse that this obstruction has taken place. And I trust
that Honourable Gentlemen, coming from Ireland, will, at all
eevents, ask the co-operation of Gentlemen on their
born side of the House, who are quite as near
`ln Alliance with them in endeavouring to get good for Ire-
*tad as the Noble Lord opposite. 'I ney ought not to blame and
.41ispesnse censure upon the Liberal Members of the House, in
the hope of seeking and obtaining the confidence of Hon. den-
ilemen opposite; and, at all events, I hope that on this side of
'the House we may manage to preserve good humour. I do
•not despair that on another evening after this we shall be able
to advance towards the corn-law question, in which seriously
Ireland is more deeply interested than in anything else.
Mr. W. MILES was quite ignorant of any compact exist-
fan; between the Hon. Member for Limerick and the party
4which was so ably heady by the Noble Lord the Member for
ILynn.He believed, according; to the customary rules and tour-
' tesy, the Hon. Member for Limerick gave his Noble Friend
notice of Isis intention to put the question he has propounded
this evening, and that was the only compact, if compact it
, timid be called, which existed between the Hon. Member and
the protectionist party. He had nothing whatever to do with
the long speech which the Hon. Member for Limerick had
made in spotting his question ; but, of course. he and his
party were pledged by the answer given by his Noble Friend.
It would he remembered, that on the first night of the
aebate ore the corn-laws, he stated to the Government that they
were ready to throw open the ports, if it were necessary to re-
lieve the suffering of the Irish people, and they were now ready
t.otake that step, if the Government required them. He was
IVA sorry that this short debate had taken place, for it enabled
ill parties in that House to express their sympathy for Ireland,
and it was gi'atifying to see that all sides were desirous of doing
ItOmething to relieve the suffering of Ireland. Irish Members
'would always find the party to which he belonged acting with
sympathy for Ireland, as far as it was possible for them to do
so, and they were now desirous of taking the first step towards
• Me social improvement of Ireland, namely, improving the Irwer
drders of society. That was not the thew for entering upon
-the question r,f the corn-laws, hut he was happy indeed that the
debate had token place, because it would show the House and
the country that however they might differ upon some points,
they were desirous of seeing some improvement introduced into
the sister kingdom.
' Mr. SMII El O'BRIEN said he wished to ask a question
of the Rig'at Hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury.
_ rSir R. PEEL—I can anticipate the question the lion. Mem-
tbieon%lislied to put to me, and I will answer it without hesita-
, • I apprehend the question to be whether lam prepared
so a.eseept his proposition to repeal the corn-laws in respect to
Irel and for the period of three months? I say at once lam not
In•Qpared to agree to it.
Tlein, • Mr. S. O'BRIENh was about to make an explanation, but
g called to ere
ft,resumed his seat.
-"Mr. B. DISRAZLIe
cannotre weghoeilnto a division upon the
question' before the House, Iti revertingtlem ai(theto
Membersome of
the observations made by the lion. Get)
for Stockpar'c. . He has treated us with a definition which
public peers have often indulged in, and has threatened us with
the pulen e indignation, and held up to us the.horrors of public
repro'ereation. He has imitated many great examples by not
sheaskine; from defining and using a particular term for
the purpose
war e (nottoid
l a
,
of menacing the Legislature.—(llear. )
There is a celebrated definition of the same term
cenmected with three individuals who m
surest in Stockport. )—( Heir,, Lau"hter.)aodt n a street
without the slightest exception, that the people of England are
persons whalive in towns ; I think that definition, for I made
a note of it at the time, was loudly cheered by a gentleman,
the expression of whose opinion—ot whose feelings, must always
ntmakea. great impression on this Houseand on
the country.
The Bright Hon. Gentleman, the first Minister of the Crown,
the moment the Hon. Member for Stockport, he's!, up what
he 'called, the' country party to the indignation 'of the people,
1/Ydulged in aloud cheer. The moment the consntry party were
tthreatened with the indignation of the people, the Right Hon.
Baronet the First Minister of England cheers most lustily;
and let it be remembered, that the theeat was followed by a

p____
ecise definition of what the.; people consisted of.
he = people were defined to be persons living in
towns,: and this definition met with a very loud
cheif' froni the first' Minit';ter of the Crown. (Cries
0f4'`.3470;1n0.") Yes, I repeat it ; immediately after the defi-
nitino..of the, terra people t
.le -Right Hon. Gentleman cheered,
which struck me at the t;,m,i as rather strange., remembering as
I did that the,cheer er.ne from the same Right Hon. individual
who was once so fife A of being at the head of the country gen-
tlernen of Eirland The moment the Hon. Gentleman the
Member for Stof;kport defined the people as being persons
living in tor ins, and attempted, as he had often done before, to
emnr°l PP:oll,.•• opLion, by holding out a threat of public indig-
nation, viyt,o,9 that this sentiment of indignation would arise
from tb,,
peop.e,
i who, in a most worthy and frank manner, he
Rdefirrt to be persons who lived in towns, the Prime Minister of
—nFg' Anti immediately cheered and accepted that definition.
..iir ROBERT PEEL—I totally deny it.—(Tremendous
c.neering.)
r
falseo
ltMally denies it—if he means to say any thing I have stated is
, 0 course I cease.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member
they, sat down.
_ On the question being put for reading the order of the day
for- resuming the adinurned deb ,te on the Coercion Bill,
Mr. MAURICIZ O'CONN ELL moved that the House do
new adjourn. / cries of .
ti ‘BRIE ' Oh, oh.")
Mi.: SMIT*
giving that. explanatio N said he had now an opportunity of
which tie House had just refused
to hear. Last Saturdna' f
from Ireland, he found thejia,troin papers which he had received
it distress and suffering there had
become ,frightful that imperatively necessary that
soro':g decisive step sh-luld be takenas
to alleviate it. Be, there-
foTe, wrote the letter to which h had already alluded to the
it out consulting any of
Noble Lord the Member for Lynn,
the Irish Members, who in truth werwe not aware of his inten-
tion till after the letter had been sent.
Mr. NEWDEGATE said he wished to know whether he
was right in thinking that the RighttnHionnu.t Baronet at the
Sdehcrleawred
s.
head of her Majesty's Government a few
thatati assertion of his Hon. Friend, the Membes r
or
for bury, was false ?

Sir ROBERT PEEL—Certainly not. I believe the
words I used were, " I totally deny it." The Hon. Gentle-
man saysl cheered a particular expression of the Hon. Gentle-
man the Member for Stockport, namely, that persons in
towns had -a right to dictate to the country party, and thus I
accepted the Hon. Gentleman's construction of the word
"people." Agin, I say, I totally deny it. The Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Coventry in error, if he thinks
1 said anything that th, Ileraber for Shrewsbury had
said Was false. I said nothing of the kind —( Loud cheers.)
Mr. NEWDEGATE begged to apologise fur having rnis-
undersloOd the Riglit Ilon. Baronet, but certainly the im-
pression upon his mind was that the Right Hon. Baronet had
cheered the definition of the Hon. Member for Stockport.
Mr. PETER BORTHWICK said, it was evident there was a
misa.lipbotitnsion of the meaning of the Right Hon. Baronet,
out ne.rtkr,etted the Rioitt flon.,Barorket did not rise to ex-
Pla'n*ttTiith'e hii Hon. Friend tire Member for Shrewsbury
renewed hit is-seat...- (Cries of " Oh..nh•") .
Jot- C:N.; .74 t; •' T'Y r,,,tlf.rnan
FlientlY explained. He was not responsible for the speech of
e Hens. Gentlemen the Member for Stockport, or any other
lion. Member, but if he were, that was not the place to call
4911 I psl uplaizt it,..(Leughor.)