The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-14 00:00:00

POOR REMOVAL BILL.

Mr. DUNCOMBE seid he understood formerly that
when those great measures of "commercial returns" had
passed, the Pete- Removal Bill, and Highway Bill, and
another measure for the purpose of giving some sort of
coaipensation to the tenant-farmers, which was said to
be a pirtion of those great and comprehensive mea-
surt,s" (Laughter) would be proceeded with as
quickly as possible. The Government of that time were,
in fact, pledged to the passing of those measures as a
parcel of them.—(Loud cheers from the protectionists.)
rhe proposal of those three measures, in short, was pro-
posed as a sort of inducement to the country gentlemen
to permit the passing of the great and comprehensive
measures of commercial reform.—(Hear, hear.) Alai
he said at the time that the promise was made
that he entertained some suspicion as to the
good faith of the Governmrnt with respect to those
measures, and that the people of the manufacturing
districts had just cause to complain of their conduct
with regard to the Poor Removal Bill.—(Hear, hear.)
The Right Honourable Baronet (Sir James Graham)
and the late First Minister of the Crown, said they
agreed with him that the honour and faith of Parlia-
ment were pledged to those measures, and that they would
see to their being carried and conducted to a safe and
successful issue, so that they and " the great and
comprehensive measures of commercial reform"
might go on pari passu.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.,')
Well, what was the course to be taken now with
regard to this Highway B:11 ? The Right Honourable
Baronet had now thrown it over, and now when they
came to the Poor Removal Bill, that he presumed was
also to be thrown over by the Noble Lord ; and the
Right Honourable Baronet said now that it was not im-
peratively necessary that these measures should be passed
if the consent of all parties could not be obtained. If
the pledges of Ministers were to be thus broken, he (Mr.
Duncombe) wanted to know what the public and the
labouring classes would think of the pledges of the Minis-
ters of the Crown?—(Hear.) On a former occasion when
the Irish Coercion Bill had been brought forward, he
had contended that the Government should, in the
first place, proceed with the other measures, and he then
prophesied what would take place with regard to them.
—(Hear, hear.) What the Noble Lord was going
to do with the Poor Removal Bill he knew not, but.
he thought that he would not be far wrong in
saying that that Bill would not pass this session of Par-
' liament. Those who were responsible for it—those
who Ind introduced it had deserted it. The Noble
Lord was not responsible for it. He again remarked
that the labouring classes had been hardly dealt with by
the late Government wits respect to these measures.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that before the Noble Lord ad-
dressed the House he begged to speak in reply to what had
fallen om the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down with
respect to a breach of faith in reference to these measures.
He hoped the House would suffer him to trespass on;their
time for a few minutes while replying to those remarks.
The Hon. Member had said that these measures had
been thrown over.—(Hear, bear.) Now, it was the in-
tention of her Mejesty's late Ministers to have
proceeded with th.ise measures to which the Ho-
nourable Gentleman had alluded. But, whilsi
he said that he WJS perfectly willing to admit
they would, in his opinion, have besn great experiments.
With regard to the question of the residence of the poor
claiming relief under the Poor-law Bill, he believed
there existed a great difference of opinion. But with
regard to the charge of a breach of faith by
himself or his former colleagues, he could assure
the Honourable Gentleman and the House, that it
they had corn limed in the service of her Majesty
it was their fixed intention and determination to have
proceeded with these measures, end he would still hope,
and believed that the Noble Lord and the Hononrable
Gentlem -n opposite would proceed with them.—(Hear.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL—After what has passed, I
think it will be necessary for me to state to the House
what are the intentions of her Majesty's Ministers with
respect to the Poor Removal Bill, and I hope it
will tend in some degree to remove the despair
of my Honourable Friend the Member for Finsbury.—
(Hear, hear.) It is our fixed intention to proceed with
it, but with respect to the provisions as to the
residence of the poor there is certainly some
doubt. I can assure my Honourable Friend that
it is our determination to proceed with the Bill without
deley.—(Hear, hear.) I certainly voted with my Hon.
Friend the Member for Melton as to the instructions
to be given to the Committee, because of the existence
in the minds of many of no great doubt
as to the expediency of the provisions with regard to
the residences of the poor.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
I would like very much to have a general Committee with
respect to the law of settlement, which was most com-
plicated and difficult—(Cries of " Hear, hear")—and
I do trust the Bill will get all the benefit
of such a Committee. Having said this much, I
have a short statement to make to the House. Her
Majesty's Ministers having very lately accepted
office, and not having all of them assembled, in
consequence of the necessity of vacating their seats and
attending on their elections, I do not think it would be
wise to state the particular measures which we
propose to carry out, or in what respect we pro-
pose to alter the Bills at present before the House.—
(Hear, hear.) I will make a statement on Thurs-
day with reference to what period I propose
to bring forward the Sugar Duties Bill. I am
quite aware of the injury -Which would re-
sult to trade and commerce generallY should this
question remain unsettled, and I will, thefetore, when
I fix a any, give notice fur a further continuance of the
' sugar duties for a short period, as the inessares

which I may introduce may meet with very great
opposition. At the present moment I have no further
statement to make to the House.

Cot WOOD, who was inaudible in the gallery, owing
to the groat confusion which existed in the House, after
the conclusion of the Noble Lord's statement, was
understood to say that', in consequence of
the explanation which had been made, he would with-
dravy, the notices of motions which -he had upon the
paper.
Mr. WAKLEY expressed hiS strong approbation of
the course about to be pursued by the Noble Lord as
the very best course. which could be adopted.
Mr. PAICINGTON expressed himsrlf highly satis-
fied with the course which the Noble Lord proposed to
follow.