The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-17 00:00:00

THE 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 en-
listment, under which it appeared that about 400 soldiers
had recently claimed exemption 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 must be attested by
a magistrate, either in the same district, or acting for
that district in which he had enlisted. It appeared that
these soldiers bad 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 also 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 Hon.
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 that
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 he 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 baieve
they would) take advantage of the present defective
law. Those men had already served ten, and in some
cases fifteen years, and they were afraid that all that
period of service would be lost, 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. HERBER r (who spoke in a very indistinct
tone) was understood to say it was perfectly true that
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 I-lon.
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 state
what were their intentions on the subject.
FAMINE IN IRELAND—FEVER HOSPITALS.

Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN inquired;hetheri;;;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. G—B,AHAM (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
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'BR[EN 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
might be afforded him, on its second reading, to call 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. \Vakley) 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 fond for the people of Ireland in the pre-
sent emergency, and that food and notphysic 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 Home
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 he 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 subject came before
the House, the Honourable Gentleman would Rot fail
to repeat his question to the House. In the mean-
time he might assure the Honourable Gentleman
of the House that the Government bad taken *lvry
measure which had been suggested to their minds
for the relief of
the distress in Ireland ;
the nature of those measures be should be most
happy to
eshtatatehaiteog
theth the
sanction
House
of
ewhen
Parliamenttproperfor n
time
camed for
ng
these Acts authoritative. In the mean time they
were aware that the Ministry were responsible,
.but were
quite confident to justify their proceedings in till, muter.
Mr. HUME was glad to hear that the Government
had taken this metier into their consideration, but he
trusted they would not be so ready to give food without
its being earned, for that he dui not think would be

estars
at all wise • and ne must protest aainst any In- she
that should have the effect of rendering the whole of
people of Ireland paupers.
Mr. O'CONNELL—That is just exactly what tilt
people of Ire land require.
Sir J. GRAHAM—The anxiety of the Governol
had been directed in the first instance to Pier
vide works upon which the people might labour
~,
the purchase of food, and thus obtain ...-1
independent subsistelice. But where from the OW! 5
the country, or from the position of its inhabitants
would be too long to wait until this labour obtaioemo
return, facilities had been provided which would so ~i
the people to purchase food before the wages were duet;
this was only where distress was urgent and inamineealt
Mr.O'CONNELL— That is exactly what the '"-
Members wish and what the Irish people want.
...se
Mr. WAKLEY—The Government ought to reu'itei
ber that wages could not relieve want until thel
_se
been eurned ; and it was the want of food which 97i
sioned famine and pestilence. Now, he wished to lt tedls
why the Irish and the English labourer were Ms see
a different way under the same Government ? obet
under the poor-law in this country, if anYnlisisk.
of the lebouring population fell int° visits
ness and distress, a maintenance and all regeola
necessaries were provided for them st ose
If a poor man were to die of starvation in this °nod
after having made application for relief to the sos itilti
officers appointed to administer it, of what offell.,,ce,eass,
those officers be guilty at law ? Why, if '''7oo°
withheld the relief they would be guilty of the ells 01
murder ; but in Ireland it appeared that hundreu to,
thousands of destitute people might die of stlls
eel6oo
without any parties being answerable for it. Ile ; weeds
astonished that Irish Members could not be ewe; Os
such circumstances. If he were an Irish Melnt',olll
should be no peace in au English farasett
while such a state of things lasted i° ''''-,0016
and so far from condemning the spirit„'„ lb!,
the other night by the Hun. Mann tool'
Limerick, he admired the course the Hon. bletbee, tbl
upon that occasion. It was now apparent frsolk
official returns, that throughout Ireland them 1/thji i!1,
ful distress prevailed ; and from whom did, '''. 9
formation come ? Why, it had come trl ts.i6
medical officers of the various poor-lave disci
Ireland, who bad opportunities not only of obi
information from the infirmaries and usietlil
saries in the county, but were well acciaorioo,
with the state of the poor in the ' se'
districts in which they practised. Now theoevers'
Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's A ie Ls'
me nt stood better with the people of Engls°- of
..,Ir
spect of this subject than any other Member lf"
House. In the first week of November, foreseetoasi
was likely to arise, what did the Right Hon of 08,
propose ? Why he proposed that the ports
es es
country should be opened ; and because he e°,,,„ 04'
carry such a proposal he resigned his office in a' et,
vernment. Such conduct was in the highest degrefse
mendable, and he for one envied the feelings theeese,
Th
Honourable Baronet must experience at thsti Ord fr,
The public expected that when the Noble "'rot
Member for the city of London had an NI: If,
of forming an Administration, he woori001;,
done so, and would have acted upon the P ate"
which he propounded in his letter to his col:0001°
Instead, however, of doing so, after some peg s,,eflisial
the Noble Lord abandoned the prospect of i°,,—, 11!1„,
Administration, and the predictions which t-don
Hon. Baronet made at the close of the last year esil 1,010
been fulfilled. Now, he should like to ask the issev'.„
Learned Recorder for Dublin, whether he rislefros?
that the accounts with regard to the deplor.- i
dition of the people of Ireland the Right flon- (sit'
had given to the House were not 6 xaggeratekeks;
He should propose that the poor-law should U'
o. 7tri.,
amended in preference to their passing any flees'
If that were not done, or if it were not distine Aoki
why a different rule of conduct was to be °lntl*
the Imperial Parliament, to the poor of the 011" re 01,1
and of the other ; until that statement we rt,
he for one (although he acknowlenP;ool,4
what the Government was doing with les 7'
supplying the Irish poor with fever hospitals 4014
right and proper), thought that one paramono; be riiss
being neglected, namely, that the law shoulafilitroei
to provide for the poor of Ireland. ,)
admitted by nearly every one who hildsearlp
these statistics that the cause of fever was to 7 it. d
the deficiency of food or in the bad quality (100 Q
had stated on a pevious night that presereeeto
better than cure, and he considered it the Glid foe o•
bounden duty to adopt such measures as w° bie 0,
time coming render the sister country less. lie ji
visitations of famine and consequently of fe'ser.:a Sstilt
Sir ROBERT PEEL hoped that the 11°":000,00
not get up a debate which must necessarily P°,•ll TO
consideration of the measure, which ,„1" fetig
agreed upon as to occupy their a;tentsu,lo/0e
whole of that evening. The tariff had Prfes of,a9
the remission of duty on most of the artleloo o'o
sistence as soon as it had received the 131416,o:00J
resod,
House, and when the resolutions which he " se eet
honour of proposing to the House should ° rip
an order would be made for an immediatestkel
of the corn in bond to the terms of the Perescoroe
would remind the Hon. Members that there oi
that was used to pass this measure, aposesfyi•
would they. be able to supply the wiryed
of her Majesty's subjects hi that country
tied therefore it was that he deprecated lal
with tbB ri
which could in any degree interfere ws slift. ,
of these resolutions. The Hon. Gentletnan_ia boo 0
ley) would remember the difficulty which haloisfr'i
perienced by the Noble Lord opposite in P„ on,
Irish Poor-law Bill, on account of the 11111°Jeeets,
tious and tests of distress which that Bill Pr°ro illefi
many of those who he believed felt the deep..e
ere 0!
in the welfare of Ireland, offered that lilev7 Oil"
most strenuous opposition, thinking, " , cildid,
such an Act was calculated to lower the op
the Irish people. He would strongly adv'se 'cc 0
the sill OS
not to lay down any specific rules on
tress, or the mode in which relief should beeted
tered. They might depend on it that if the;_f de
0
to apply a general principle for the reltetsiable, 1
they would find its working utterly lEO°9 rich )0„,
in the case of a district in which were Inan)0,011-0eri,
proprietors living together, Government 6 bete,
perfect right to call upon them to co-operats'it 1 .0,
other hand, in remote and in poor districts;e tli.tsre,
,ibsolutely necessary for Government to III! k tnior„,
of granting partial relief. He did not trs the ifrA,
should be burdened with qualifications. l's ths,sesspir
trust to the Government, in order to dole' „oh sof
might be inclined to take advantage of these i.i, so ses,
He trusted that the Parliament would look seat 0 tifs
don in this light, and allow the Govern:r Ses
down to this House and ask 4
ocresee
cretionary power. (Hear, hear.) 'l' ee oil'
course which had been pursued on forttlo, j je,
and the beneficial results that followed fa 5e41740.A
it.—(Hear.) In fact it was a matter Whit: 010 se!?
much tact and local knowledge that to laY, rose
gislative measure upon the subject would real, Ire
dangerous precedent.—( Hear, hear.) 13110,04,,,,y
would beg of the Hon. Member to bear in 000"1011"
that the postponement of this measure r:d O. oil
most injurious effects upon the demand ''.- sOl
ob'
of food.—(Hear, hear.) Ob 4 Jit '
Captain JONES, amid cries of ``s e, ' eat
he was not going to make a speech. ee :ply
meant to say, that if the 11°to moy jell
that the people of Ireland were in that saw lel
that had been represented, he begthee tal 2er
did not believe it was so. " tooblit ' 9:41)0
Ireland in January last he was assareeer 11.- I
ber of persons in the poor-house was cons,,to lt,oessP
than it was before, and he was certain t'lest7_,io4l'
ye it fully five per cent. under abet it sstistios eTters,
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN said he coulda atter/
how the impertation abutter from Holla° il'ealPV 11
don of bacon from America, or the p.oste_foretli_totea
importations could affect the question hi: oiliplesei
respecting the distressed state of thePe°,l)„9 to 0.007
did not intend to offer any observat'°,7 be 000, aSs
upon the questions now before it ; bus
ootsallo 0
his protest against it being said that the of g.": 0), )
the tariff by this House was a matlerd, i 0 e
portance than the present state of Ireland 6
gorse
Lord G. BENTINCK—(Amid cries obscriesiaes:i
Said he was not going to address be , ti) ,
tee House upon this question ; hutobsetVor
that it was most gratifying to him to 0 .iiceoe,
almost total abolition of the duty 1)(100 1100, eti
glass was proposed. The proposed rellib he'vsUsr
items amounted to over 52,000/., svb,_ifen re6400,0r4
pleased to hear. The duty that bad b° yet red
0001 ~
auctions and upon glass amounted to 1 500• J I°, Y
which 600,0001. was paid upon glass, °a r, 1100 taelf,
auctions. 'Bu the question be 11,Jereti`00'„ le
had reference to the further co°6" was rerc4;li
reduction of the customs duties-1n O. e Ctl; 4,
ther similar results had followed fr°lo of roy
that had taken place in the reductio _tot , tlt .
duties between the year 1842 and thesecriesiftk'et#os
also whether any reductions in thett Drat the
cers of the customs had taken place 1. n'eslnir,lsros;t4
that I:, teress-
Sir R. PEEL slated, in reply,
would recollect, when he proP°sed "lee' As gi 16)019;
of the auction and glass duties, be .gave 000004
such prudent reduction, not
_,_°l3.iceerfe.,oo46l;sf,)
advantage to be derived from the numthe enl'erti°(llv
Excise with these articles, but also_, the ea
... ~
_.
certain to ba given to the full scope
roe' ,f glinpeir." sr,
persons engaged in the manufacture
also ilobe t siPly;
His Noble Friend had asked him a
the ibeelooo/
been a concurrent reduction 111110 ° JOY
amount of salaries of Custom-
and ,ness-,
~'
the abolition of duty on auctions,,4:s thos,'s- rept
was bound to tell his Noble FriendoLomr ~,, 1/, ty,
been that corresponding reductien,r_Auetios,redioite
es
that there could as yet be any such
ti_7olo,
Ire Id
The entries were required for two P rro feee°
required for statistical purposes! :f the
_O,O _ et
of great importance on accottut of for !all it,,ed
they furnished of the quantity it, legto Os'tisls
When, ei the ar
brought into this country. costa- ts eess
said the Government could not as oderctiess 401;/'
of food brought into the country
__., ese.
_veforo
then proposed, he promised that e,v,eitoi tlis'-je
be made to secure this object. For in_t3entiireq!... 004
entries at the custom-house were I:flee so"the P fli
was the taking of the precaution* ore.eeek,
~,
of being duty free, no goods h b
t being sulleatils?
reason why this custom-house surviosilt.oseugdeelie tteooio
customs, were admitted without
..11 exstueho
duty. For this purpose there was :t once, ;e ilol,,llfs
an entry necessary. He admitted ;noel tilts sh 7
_P,,
crease in custom duty bad not been itea Pio epecil•
of expense, but it must also be a 0004 thsceo ,
been a great increase in trade
.in__ se ill
e trade ots rer4
had thus reduced an increase of at,
_t itie
..eif ,st,ii
equivsteu Willi taleel PIA
reduction in the customs. The decrylPrie of thee.'
and had thus given them
be shlP6 ll f‘ Of
held in his hand an account of t
)_,_
of the „De 04 t,,,
that had entered the principal IX is l
g
inotrsepf,s Sr
done during the last tow yesoraLn_ idorsaip tee
and so desirous was he of aff yeses
point, that he would hare no objectio t°
a

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