The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-13 00:00:00

POOR REMOVAL BILL.

Mr. DUNCO3IBE said he understood formerly that
when those great measures of " commercial reform" had
passed, the Poor Removal Bill, and Highway Bill, and
another measure, for the purpose of giving some sort of
compensation to the tenant-farmers, which was said to
be a portion of " those great and comprehensive mea-
sures" (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.)
The 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.) Aral
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 Pour Removal Bill.—(Hear, hear.)
The Right Honourable Baronet (Sir James Graham)
and the late First Minister of the Crown, said he
agreed with him that the honour and faith of Parlia-
ment were pledged to those measures, and that he 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 Bill ? 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, if the consent
of all parties could not be obtained. And yet what he
said no less than three weeks ago ?—llear,hear.) If
the pledges of ministers were to be thus broken, he (Mr.
Duncombe) wanted to know what the public and the
labouring classes think of the pledges of the Ministers of
the Crown—(Hear, hear)—if pledges were to be thrown
over in this sort of way. On a former occasion when
the Iriih 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 had 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 with respect to these measures.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that before the Noble Lard ad-
dressed the House he begged to speak in reply to what had
fallen from the Hon. G entleman who had jus.; 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, hear.) Now, it was the in-
tention of her Majesty's late Ministers to have
proceeded with those measures to which the Ho-
nourable Gentleman had alluded. But, whilst
he said that ho was perfectly willing to admit
that they would, in his opinion, been 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 oolleagues, he could assure
the Honourable Gentleman and the House, that if
they had continued in the service of her Majesty
it was their fixed intention and determination to have
proceeded- with these measures, and he would still hope,
and believed that the Noble Lord and the Honourable
Gentlemen .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 despir
of my fionOurable Friend the Member for Finsbury.—
(Lear, hear.) It is our fixed intention to proceed with
it, but with respect to the provisions- as to the
fesidepeb the poor there certainly some