The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-16 00:00:00

itlIE ARMY.

Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE (who spoke in a very low
tone) was understood to ask what was the intention of
Government with respect to the clause of the act of c n-
listment, under which it appeared that about 400 soldiers
had recently claimed exemptien from service in the
army, on the ground that they had been enlisted in one
county and attested in another, the present Act re-
quiring that a. soldier •nsust be attested by
a magistrate, either in the same district, or acting for
that district in which he had enlisted. It appeared that
those soldiers had been enlisted in one county and
attested in another ; it was discovered that the en-
listment was in point of fact not legal, and the con-
sequence was their immediate discharge. It sdso appeared
that there were a great number, no less, in fact,
than 5,000 or 6,000 men in the same position ! 400 out
of 1,500 of the Grenadier Guards were similarly cir-
cumstanced. Now, he wished to ask the Right llon.
Gentleman the Secretary-at-War what was the course
which the Government intended to pursue with
respect to the• present imperfect Act, and whether
it would not be desirable to confirm all those
enlistments.—(Hear, hear.) He understood ti.at
another course had been suggested, which was to
compel those men who had taken advantage of
the clause to refund the money which they had
received on their enlistment. Under the present
law ho believed that a person who had served
twenty-one years• in the army was entitled to a pension,
and some of those men had become very much alarmed,
but the Government should (although he did not believe
they would) take advantage of the present defective
law. Those men had already sawed ten, and in some
eases fifteen years, and they were afraid that all that
period of service would be lust, in consequence of their
having been enlisted in one county and attested in
another. He was quite sure that the Government
were prepared to set all things square on the best plan
possible, which he (Mr. Duncombe) believed would be
by bringing in a short Bill. It was quite clear that
something should be done for the sake of those
men who had already faithfully served a great
number of years in the service of their country.
Mr. S. HERPERT (who spoke in a very indistinct
tone) was understood to say it was perfectly true flat
during the last few days the attention of the Govern-
ment had been called to the subject, as many had
claimed exemption on the grounds stated, but they were
not aware that the number was as great as the Hon.
Member stated. The subject was of very great import-
ance, and was under the consideration of the Govern-
ment. On a future day he should be able to stare
what were their intentions on the subject,
FAMINE IN IRELAND—FEVER HOSPITALS.

Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN inquired whether it was the
intention of the Government to proceed with the second
reading of the -Bid for erecting fever hospitals in Ire-
land, to-night ?
Sir J. GRAHAM (who also spoke in a low tone), was
understood to say that he had hoped that the second
reading of the Bill might be taken before 12 o'clock
to-night.--(llear, hear.) But he feared that the
continued opposition to the Government measures,
with respect to the import duties, would
prevent that consummation. The Government
were very anxious to proceed with the Bill without
loss of time, but it entirely depended on Hon. Members
whether the Bill was passed in a short while, or in the
course of a few weeks.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. S. O'BRIEN said, his object in asking the question
was not to obstruct the progress of the Bill by discussing!its
provisions at any length, but simply that an opportunity
mieht, bo afforded him, on its second reading, to c ill the
attention of the House to several documents which he
had received from Ireland since he last addressed them,
describing the progress and alarming increase of the
disease in the potato crop, which showed that
the Hon. Member for Finsbury (Mr. Wakley) was cor •
rect in saying that the Irish people required food instead
of physic at the present moment.
Mr. P. SCROPE considered that no time ought to be
lost in providing food for the people of Ireland in the pre-
sent emergency, and that food and not physic Was required.
He thought that the chief object of the poor-law of Ire-
land was to save the people from the effect of famine
and consequent pestilence. Now, what he wished to
ask the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Horne
Department (Sir J. Graham) was, whether the Govern-
ment had provided any measures for limiting the distress
which the poor in Ireland were suffering previous to finish-
ing the discussion of the Government measure. He thought
this was desirable, because his impression certainly was,
that the poor of Tralee required food rather than physic,
In England there were provisions made under the poor-
law for sick hospitals ; but he thought that a better
plan might be adopted by preventing the sickness itself.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that nothing had been spared
by the Government to provide for such a contingency as
the Honourable Gentleman had alluded to. He hoped
that the Hon. Gentleman would not fail to make this
matter the substance of a substantive motion, for no
question could certainly be more important than
the one be had brought before the House.
Now, before any alteration could take
place in the poor-law of Ireland, several subjects
must be discussed which had a reference to its princi-
ples ; and he hoped that when that tubject came before
the House, the Honourable Gentleman would not fail
to repeat his question to the House. In the mean-
time he might assure the Honourable Gentleman
of the House that the Government had taken every
measure which had been suggested to their minds
for the relief of the distress in Ireland ;
the nature of those measures ho should be most
happy to state to the House when the proper time
came for obtaining the sanction of Parliament for ren-
dering these acts authoritative. In the mean time they
were aware that the Ministry were responsible, but were
quite confident to justify their proceedings in this matter.
Mr. HUME was glad to hear that the Government
had taken this matter into their consideration, but he
trusted they would not be so ready to give food without
its being earned, for that he did not think would be
at all wise ; and he must protest against any measure
that should have the effect of rendering the whole of the
people of Ireland paupers.
Mr. O'CONNELL—That is just exactly what the
people of Ireland require.
Sir J. GRAHAM—The anxiety of the Government
had been directed in the first instance to pro-
vide works upon which the people might labour for
the purchase of food, and thus obtain an
independent subsistence. But where from the nature of
the country, or from the position of its inhabitants, it
would be too long to wait until this labour obtained its
return, facilities had been provided which would enable
the people to purchase food before the wages were due, but
this was only where distress was urgent and imminent.
Mr.O'CONNELL— That is exact what the Irish
Members wish and what the Irish people want.
Mr. WAKLEY—The Government ought to remem-
ber that wages could not relieve want until they had
been earned ; and it was the want of food which occa-
sioned famine and pestilence. Now, he wished to know
why the Irish and the English labourer were treated in
a different way under the same Government ? Now,
under the Poor-law in this country, if any number
of the , labouring population fell into sick-
ness and distress a maintenance and :all req'iisite
necessaries were provided for them at once.
If a poor man werejto die of starvation in this country
after having made application for relief to the proper
officers appointed to administer it, of what offence would
those officers be guilty at law ? Why, if they had
withheld the relief they would be guilty of the crime of
murder, but in Ireland it appeared that hundreds and
thousands of destitute people might die of starvation,
without any parties being answerable for it. He was not
astonished that Irish Members could not be quiet under
such circumstances. If he were an Irish Member, there
should be sao peace in an English Parliament
while such a state of things lasted in Irelat d,
and so far from condemning the spirit evinced
the ether night by the Hon. Member for
Limericic, he admired the course the Hon. Member took
upon that occasion. It was now apparent from the
official retUrne, that throughout Ireland the most dread-
ful distress prevailed ; and from whom did this in-
formation come ? Why, it bad come from the
medical officers of the various poor-law districts in
Ireland, who had opportunities not only of obtaining
information from the infirmaries and dispen •
series in the county, but were well acquainted
with the tate of the poor in the various
districts in which they practiced. Now the Right
Hon. Baronet et the head of her Majesty's Govern-
ment stood better with the people of England in re-
spect of this subject than any other Member of the
House. In Mu, first week of November, foreseeing what
was likely to !arise what did the Right Hon. Baronet
propose ? Why he proposed that the ports of the
country should be opened ; and because he could not
carry such a proposal he resigned his office in the Go-
vernment. Such conduct was in the highest degree com-
mendable, and he for one envied the feelings the Right
Honourable Earenet must experience at that moment.
The public expected that when the Noble Lord the