The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-29 00:00:00

ro lrirli ineasuree. The accounts he had received
from Trr ?land during the last few days with respect to the
potato crop w ere more favourable than those previously
received.—(Hear.) He hoped that no sudden panic
would occur on the matter which would lead the pm,ple
to de-lair, because there was every reason to believe
that the crop would be a good ono, although the disease
had in some parts made its arpearance.—(Divide.)
Colonel DUNNE adverted to some of the measures
alluded to in the course of the debate. Time should be
given for the consideration of the grand jury laws. A
more important subject than that of the fisheries
of Ireland could not come before the House, and he
trusted it would receive early and most attentive consi•
deration. He regretted that the Franchise Bill had been
postponed. The Polling Places Bill was not of much
consequence. The promotion of emigration was most
important. Little could be done in respect to railways
this session. If the Irish Members did not act in unison,
did not the English Members entertain differences of
opinion, and did not a difference of opinion exist upon
almost all subjects?—(Hear.) No body of men could
have more strongly expressed their views with respect to
a poor-law suitable for Ireland, than the Irish Members
who objected to the present measure. He trusted the
Government would assure the House that a Bill on
enlightened principles would be brought in at the earliest
possible period. He read a letter from Mullingar,
stating that the present law was destroying the condi
:ion of Ireland. It was said that the law was similar
to that in force in England; but he denied that it
was so. With respect to the impending rebel-
lion in Ireland, he considered that the leading
agitators were wholly incapable of the task they had
assigned to them.elves, and he thought the Government
kad done well in passing a measure empowering the
Lord-Lieutenant to shut them up, so that they might
neither injure themselves or others. The Right Hon.
Baronet said that nothing could be now done until the
next session. This was, indeed, a matter for sincere
regret, when the condition of Ireland was borne in mind.
Mr. R. M. FOX read a letter from a practical
agriculturist and a magistrate in Longford, stating that
the fears with respect to the potato crop were groundless,
and that the crops would be altogether good. The Right
Hon. Baronet (Sir G. Grey) had challenged the Irish
Members to produce one practical measure. He in-
troduced one to improve the arterial drainage of Ireland.
In that country there were Crown lands, which yielded
but 50,0001., and which cost a great deal in their ma-
nagement; they might be sold for 250,0001., which lent
at 5 per cent. might be made the means of improving
waste lands, and thus employ 1,000,000 of people. The
Church of Ireland did far more good than injury.
Mr. CLEMENTS deprecated the course that had been
pursued by the Honourable Member for Stroud, and be-
lieved that no man had done more mischief towards Ire-
land than that Hon. Member. He had attributed to the
landlords of Ireland the whole cause of the miseries of
that unhappy country. He would giie his vote, although
a reluctant one, to going into a Committee
of Supply. Although he could not support the motion
of the Hon. Member for Rochdale, nothing should pre-
vent him from doing all in his power to preserve the in-
tegrity of Ireland.
Sir D. NORREYS would vote for the measure, but at
the same time he felt bound to express his great dis-
appointment that no remedial measures had been intro-
duced by the Government to improve the condition of
Ireland. He believed that the labour restraint might be
greatly relieved in Ireland, and that much might be done
by the Government if they would only turn their atten-
tion to it, to the employment of capital in Ireland. He
would tell the Government that any attempt to patch up
the grand jury laws would do no good. He hoped,
however, that the Government would introduce some
measure on the subject of the grand jury laws, and
thereby enable the House fully to consider the question.
At the present moment more than 41 per cent. of the
population of Ireland were receiving relief, and
he would ask whether that was a proper state of
things, and one which ought to be allowed to exist ?
He was sorry to see the Noble Lord at the; head of the
Government pursuing the course he had done, because
he believed that in doing so, he was pursuing a course
that was doing himself injustice.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir W. SOMERVILLE denied that the measures that
had been introduced by the Government were calculated to
deprive any part of the Irish people of their rights. He
thought that no man in that House could with truth say
that there was any indisposition lon the part of the
House of Commons to consider the rights of the people
of Ireland. No man would be more cautious than him-
self in depriving any party in Ireland of their
just rights. He believed that nothing would be
worse than depriving the tenants of Ulster of the good
understanding which existed between them and their
landlords. lie admitted that the law with respect to
landlord and tenant required very great improvement,
but did not agree with the assertion that it was
at the root of all the social evils of Ireland.
The dissatisfaction which existed was less with
respect to the relationship between landlord and tenant
as the relationship between tenant and labourer, and it
was the situation of the labouring population, who were
now subjected to such great hardships, that called for
the special attention of the House.—(Hear, hear.) (The
Right Hon. Baronet referred to a communication from
Mr. 11. I. Porter, contained in the report of Lord Devon's
Committee, to show that the great evil of Ireland was
attributable to the relationship between tenant and la-
bourer. The extract read by the Hon. Baronet went to
show that the average rent paid by tenants in an estate
in the north of Ireland was Be. 2d. an acre, while that.
paid by the labouring people to the tenants was Si. an
acre, and in some cases as high as 101.) The law, there-
fore, with respect to tenant and labourer required very
great revision in order to remedy the monstrous and cry-
ing evils to which it had given rise. With respect to
the poor-law in Ireland he was ready to admit that it
was defective, and if it were the wish of Irish Members
there would be no objection to grant a Committee at an
early period next session to consider the subject.—
(their, hear.) The Howe would then be in possession
of alt the information that was required, and would be
better able to amend the law. Every one knew the
difficulties the Government had to contend with in
coping with the famine. Next there was the Coercion
Bill, which was miscalled. since none of the loyal
subjects of the Crown in Ireland could complain of
its influence.—(Hear, hear.) To show its necessity
and that it was not altogether a failure, he
quoted the following facts, namely, that the num-
ber of outrages in Dublin in December, 1847, was 2,162.
whilst in the succeeding June they had sunk to 1,188;
thus showing its efficacy and its necesssitv. He
contended that Roman Catholics had had their
fair share of the public offices of Ireland.
He knew of no one who had the interest of the Roman
Catholics more at heart than Mr. Redington, and in
whom the interests of the members of that religion could
be more safely entrusted. Then there were Mr. Monahan,
the Attorney-General, and Mr. Baldwin, who were Roman
Catholics, who held office. The charge was, therefore,
unfounded. He agreed with the Secretary of State for
the Home Department with respect to what he had
said about the Irish Church, or rather the Ecclesiastical
Establishment in Ireland. The object of the Government
was to put all religions in Ireland OR a perfect footing of
equality, and thereby to prevent heartburnings—(Hear)
—by doing this they believed they would promote in a
great degree the happiness of the whole people of Ire-
land. He reeretted, and felt ashamed, that a portion of
the press of Ireland had so grossly maligned his Noble
Friend Lord Clarendon as it had; fer if ever there was
a man who entered upon his task heart and soul, and
with an earnest desire to promote the social welfare of
the people it was that Noble Lord; he felt it his duty to
give his vote against the motion of the Hon. Member for
Rochdale.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR ascribed the whole of the dis-
tress of Ireland to the neglect of the landlords, and
to the non-performance of their duties : hence they
were always coming to the House for measures to
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Mr. NEWDEGATE rose, and was
(LEFT SPEAKING.)