The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-18 00:00:00

believed to be the plain fact, namely, that after the con-
sumption of the seed-potatoes then would not remain
three week's supply. He hoped the Government would
excuse him, for he did not mean to read them a lecture,
but he did sincerely trust that they would not lose a
moment in applying to America for a sufficient supply
of Indian meal. It would be better to do this now than
to wait until the eleventh hour, and leave the people of
Ireland the sad alternative of lying down by the road-
side to perish, or of turning round upon the country
gentlemen, and taking possession of their property, and
committing other outrages of which they and the Go-
vernment would most bitterly repent. He was the more
anxious upon this point, as he saw no promise in the
Right Hon. Gentleman's speech, and he could noitiatht there-
fore fore refrain from remembering an old saying, t
words
the Go
rbeurtntme r n
Government
nto
wouldpar parsnips. ips e
take
.
which he had recommended. some
et r us suteehd ,
steps however,
a s thatth e
se
whSoirhßadijuEsEt L
satsa iddo
wh en c
thatu l a assurehe r :si
at
jhees
tHy
,osn
G. Ge
Government
theh melancholy
had very recently
picture
received
hadthe
d fullestralvn
f the confirmationdistress
in
etnhta letm
tlhrealtanitd,
wasand hneetbenaggeerde
thantoremin a
Government were endeavouring to defend themselvesthane
fdorttnhieg ago Gentleman
from charges of exaggeration upon this subject. The
House should also remember that Government had been
devoting themselves earnestly to the introduction of
measures for the amelioration of this distress ; and with
a view to convincing the House that distress did exist,
they had ordered certain returns to be laid upon the
table ; and when that was done, it was stated to be all
exaggeration, while in fact those returns had just been
confirmed by the Hon. Gentleman who had just come
over from that country.—(Hear, hear.) The charges
that the Government were attempting to mitigate that
distress, not by practical measures, but by fine speeches,
he would meet in this way. No doubt the Government
would be highly culpable to pursue such a course ; but
he did think they should get credit for endeavouring to
avoid such measures as might perhaps aggravate instead
of mitigate those evils.—(Hear, hear.) If by the inter-
ference of the Government, any measures could be intro-
duced that would have a practical effect, he would admit
that no consideration of a pecuniary nature should weigh
for a moment with the Government.—(Hear, hear.) But
in such a matter the interference of the Government
might have a very injurious effect. He could assure the
House that the utmost caution should be exercised by
the Government in dealing with such measures, lest by a
temporary mitigation of the distress, they might be lay-
ing the foundation for much greater misery hereafter.—
(Hear, hear.) Now, let him take the last observation of
the Hon. Gentleman. He said, " for God's sake,
send over to America for more Indian corn."
Let them take care that they did not interfere with
the natural and legitimate supply of this commodity and
the exertions of individuals. In the early part of No-
vember, when no steps were taken in reference to an
alteration in the corn•law—when Indian meal was un-
known—many persons then questioned the authority of
the Government to interfere. The Government, how-
ever, sent out an order, seeing that there was a prohi-
bitory duty on the article, to bring in a very large
quantity of it ; but when Indian meal could be imported
at a Is. per quarter, it did not follow that the measure
which was wise and expedient in November last would
be wise now. The first effect which the pro-
ceeding would have would be to raise the price of Indian
meal, and the second would be embarrassment to the
merchant. He mentioned these things as a proof that
the Government were influenced, not by an indifference
to the necessities of the people, but by a sincere con-
viction that a compliance with the recommendations made
to them would do injury, and aggravate the existing evils.
At the present moment oatmeal was one-third higher in
price than during the last two or three years, so that by
introducing Indian corn they were not driven to subsist
on a high priced, bat on a generous and moderate priced
food. He did trust that the introduction of this corn
would give the Irish people a taste for a higher descrip-
tion of food, and increased industry to obtain it, and, in
fact, lay the foundation of a better state of things in Ire-
land. By preventing the Irish labourer from placing entire
dependence on the prevalent Irish food—the watery po•
tato—would confer great and lasting good upon them.
—(Cheers.) If the Government had announced their in-
tention of entirely supporting the whole Irish people
during the prevalence of the distress now extant in Ire-
land, they would have done much mischief—more than
any step whatever—because they would thereby have in-
duced benevolent individuals to relax their exertions in
behalf of the poor.—(Hear, hear.) If the Government
were at once to relieve the Irish clergy of all denomina-
tions, Irish farmers, all above the labouring classes, who
now lent their aid to support the indigent, from the
moral obligations imposed upon them, they would
have insured all the evils of famine.—(Hear,
hear.) It was impossible the Government could
support four millions of people. The Hon. Gen-
tleman advised them to be more liberal, and to make a
declaration of their means in order to obtain a more ex-
tended support of the Government measures, and said
that many absentee landlords were not performing that
duty which resident landlords were performing. He
(Sir Robert Peel) thought it unfair to draw this distinc-
tion, because he knew many absentee landlords who
were very generous to the poor.—(Hear, hear.) But if
the Government were to express their intention to re-
lieve the wants of the whole of the suffering Irish peo-
ple, those who had heretofore relieved their wants would
have excused their Fla oral obligations by saying that
the Government had unlimited means at their com-
mand, and might, by commissions of inquiry, have full
and accurate information with respect to their condition
—would thank the Government for relieving them of the
responsibility, and they would take proper measures to
alleviate their sufferings. This might occur. It would be
utterly impoesible for them to relieve cases of individual
distress occurring in the wilds of Donegal or Mayo, and
therefore they must look to all proprietors, resident and
non-resident, for support ; and it was not on the
Government that the first responsibility rested.—
(Hear, hear.) It was only through their aid
they could hope to effect any good. It might be very
well fur the Hon. Gentleman to say that he held him
(Sir R. Peel) rasponsible for every death that occurred.
These were dangerous words; they ought not to be made
use of ; but they could not make the Government pri-
marily responsible ; it must rest with those who either are
or ought to be resident upon the spot, and upon those
especially who, by reason of their non-residence, ought
to be more liberal in their contributions. Not by any
means wishing to shrink front any responsibility which
might be attached to him either officially or individually,
he could not allow the responsibility to be attached to an
Executive Government which really had no means to
effect anything without their aid.—(Hear, hear.) And
if the statement was true that the people were eating
those rotators which ought, to be preserved for food, was
it not a sufficient vindication of the Government for
asking a permanent settlement of the corn question?
This was his answer to the speech of the Hon. Member
for Limerick. He had no wish whatever to sa.y any-
thing with respect to the Corn Bill during the discussion
of this measure. He wished the Corn and Coercion
Bills to be kept separate and distinct.--(Hear, hear.)
On whatever other points Hon, Me:nbers might differ
he thought that upon this they would be agreed,
viz. the necessity of doing something towards giving
permanent re:let to the people of Ireland. There might
be differences of opinion entertained as to the efficacy
of the measures which the Government had introduced
For the relief of the people of Ireland. He could assure
the House that it was the wish of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to meet the wants of the people of Ireland. Day
after day and night after night they were occupied
with the subject of the present distress in Ireland,
and it was their earnest desire that the remedial
measures which they had introduced should not be
ineffectual.—(hear, hear.) It had not been a fear
of exp, we that had dissuaded the Government from
bringing forward such measures of relief a; had been
alluded to by the Hon. Member for Limerick. The
fear under which the Government laboured was, that lest
their resources might not be sufficiently efficacious ;
he could assure the House that it was their anxious
wish to relieve, as much as in them lay, the distresses of
the people of Ire-'and.—(hear, bear.)
Mr. E. B. ROCHE said that the Right Hen. Baronet had
misunderstood him, and had consequently misrepresented him
when quoting his language. He (Mr. Roche) had not called
upon the Government to come forward and support the people
of Ireland, nor had he asked them to take upon themselves the
entire responsibility of supporting the people of Ireland. The
Irish Members did not ask the Government to extend eleemosy-
nary assistance to the people of Ireland. What he had said was
this, that the Government had themselves come forward as the
feeders of the Irish people during their present calamitous dis-
tress, and that having done so they ought not to have stopped
halfway. The Government ought to tell the landlords of Ire-
land for certainty that in Liverpool, or some other places, they
could ono! foodapinEE L_foTr PEEL—That
is
suipupsot
whatrt f their irwfaenllt to have. ow- coaunet. I
fellow-countrymen.
en.
want
foreign wheat at 4s. per quarter to mix with oats at about
I s .A. 61
rd..
Ep.erriq. ROCHE—That
Sir HE—That may do for another year.
R.O PA EE LB—pNoo butEL Lf o
saidthisthat
yeaatr.by the Rig ht Hon.
Baronet's own showing the Government had in this
instance, to
use a familiar phrase, " placed the cart before the horse."
They had introduced coercive when conciliatory measures
avbersnolmuteenity
pnreescsesfosarrwya.r—d(tHheearc,orlhleaßra didin'tts'theyad
of notint
rtehdeuweGi
thiss icroievr c. i vseomas measure
LLE was exceedingly glad to hear thatnorg-e
the Government intended to augment the
only that had been
fundseds th
raised for the relief of the Irish poor,
they
could do would be to improve the harbours, so to think
ell
ployment for the poor. A great deal could be done
in manner. He hoped the report on the state of the harbours in
Ireland would be produced as early as possible, in order
that
something might be done.
Mr. COLLETT wished to make a few remarks on the sub-
ject under consideration. It was in reference to the finding of
employment on the railways proposed to be constructed in Ire-
land. He did not refer to any of the railway Bills of the pre-
sent session, but to those passed last year, and especially to two,
the Waterford and Limerick and Dundalk and Enniskillen rail-
ways. These were two excellent lines, but the state of things
was such, the calls could not be got, and the works were in
consequence delayed. If they could get some assistance by the
advancement of money on loan, great relief would be afforded.
While he was desirous of doing everything he could to meet
the wants of the Irish people, he supported the Coercion Bill
as a measure necessarily required, but only of a temporary
character.

Mr. O'CONNELL would not have addressed the House
had not the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) referred to
the difference between hi, Hon. Friend (Mr. Smith O'Brien)
and him (Mr. O'Connell) on the subject of out-door relief.
Whatever opinion he had expressed respecting out-door relief,
it was quite clear that the present relief in the poor-houses in
Ireland was altogether inadequate.l37,ooo persons were all that
were relieved by the poor-houses at present, while there were
2,300,000 in a state of destitution.—( Hear, hear.) The
establishments for these 37,000 persons had cost 90,0001. This
would show the inadequacy of the system of relief. Still, though
he thought nothing could be more ruinous to Ireland than
a system of out-door relief, if the Right Hon. Baronet
thought proper to propose it, in the present state of Ireland
he (Mr. O'Connell) was willing to sacrifice his opinion and
support it.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Baronet had
also referred to the failure of the drainage system in Ireland,
but that was not attributable to the plans of the Government,
but to other causes. He must say the Government had
/11197r4 rftr7 dispolitio4 to relies the condition of Irolud,