The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-25 00:00:00

be 41.'
trrn Out in another place. Had they calculated all the
tetshies4l an opposition ? In the first place, was' it cora-
kb.l, that the House of Lords and House of Commons
li,u.f,_n opposed to each other ott such a subject as tnie?
difee,4l7e tternen opposite were quite prepared to meet the
tbee Yby an appeal to the country. Was it so light a
NI? LO have ao election where they had banded aga;rist
Tile other the agriculturist and the protectiGnist.---( Hear. )
keter,"eicul to- be coesidered was one of the gravest cha-
lasia, It was the question of the supply of food to the
Wry
treat the state of Ireland in an appeal to the country ?
o,prg
ol
ti,
:: Oi
dlle.l dthbeemtat arguments used at a general election
manufacturers would say that the labourer was
aris,_ of his food by rnonopely ;on the other, the agricul-
Nsl4"lil say that the manueictwers were seeking the de-
-4,44.,.'s of the peasantry. Those were not very safe
tfos `,°:, to use at a general election. Unless
liley'
wa:te.mbers opposite were perfectly satisfied of this,
ti h. 'old take upon themselves a heavy responsibility,
tott;°"tog the country into confusi, n upon such a question
hr 'suppose Hon. Gentlemen opposite were to succeed, and
ttip„,`-: vet a protectionist Government strong enough to
ttli,,,i'" over any minority in that ElOtise, would they have no
Ile, "ewes to contend with? Let them look to the history
tnt."Y administration since the year 1815. From that time
lliit,,P;esent there had been one constant course of relaxation.
tt,fl;l' they looked to the administration of Lord Liverpool,
klies. Huskisson, or Lord Grey, the whole course of the
lei4lethe commercial nolicy of this country—had had a
4t thY to relaxation. What did he draw from that ? Why,
11 Jere was a kind of free-trade influenza always raging
ikels wnirig-street.—(Cheering and counter cheering.)
lek 1101, as they supposed, a faction arrayed against them,
ii.; tzaal owing to their cause being averse to reason and jus-
t they, tEe protectionists, were unable to succeed.
kr..eittttle, in fact, was built upon the sand, and not upon
14i' i and sooner or later it would fall to the ground. He
lisolaht trouble the House with any further remarks, but
,;,, sit down, expressing his cordial assent in the measure of
Cght lion. Baronet.
kksetrutil,e he
‘lsit, ',SHAW wished to refer •to some official documents re-
-Itt ea? the famine in Ireland From the first he had stated,
approved of every precauion that could be taken
vtrirl'oe possibility of a great calamity,- or to alleviate the
4.4 of a large portion of the Irish people, still
~ 'VA that the potato failure in Ireland had
' , 4taggerated.—( Hear, hear.) He was aware of the invi-
`tsis, Yement made in a morning paper, but at the same time
Ile,. It to be incumbent on him to state in all sincerity what
~,let'esl to be the teal state of the ease. He admitted that
4,1 tat a large portion of the lush people who depended
rtatoes for subsistence, and any failure in the potato
',Lilli ust of necessity have the effect of- reducing the con-
:4erof some of the people of Ireland. A partial failure in
was quite ready to agree had taken place, and he
astert!rore given a ready support to all the remedial mea-
olike °Leh the Government had proposed for affording em-
those 't to those who were unemployed, and giving medical
g who were suffering from sickness. Hehad been
with accusing the Government of having wilfully eitag-
this subject ; he could assure the House he had never
trl thing of the sort. He had said that tbe Gosern-
-1 tt:4 exaggerated the subject, but he never meant to ac-
ktlid !Ins or those from whom he received the information
Ites"°ll4 so intentionally. He had, however, been challenged
1,1141 the statement he did make, and he was now prepared,
:itd,!ase would allow him, to put in that proof. Now, the
sets'autent laid before the House upon this subject was the
~.°l. Prsiessor Playfair, and Mr. Tilney, who stated
tll4zaber last, that from their experiments thy had come
oheuelusion that half the potato crop in Ireland was de-
,set, Now, any practical man at all acquainted with the
o_ or with Ireland, must have known that this was an
'4 conclusion, and a subsequent report proved it to be
I,° • 14January it was ascertained by another Committee ap-
isat.° ofthe Government, that instead of there being a de-
,' s 4 one-halt, there was only a deficiency of one-fifth.
,s't 'leather
was moved for by his Honourable Friend,
`1 'eather for Somerset, and it had been since
hbefore„ the Flou-e, which gave the highest
illis -t' Potatoes in- the various market-towns in Ire-
ttledlo week ending the 23.1 January, and this document
'het him greater demonstrative preof that ks was perfeotly
th.wheti he stated that the Government had exaggerated
ella Reek
%Object. From these returns, it would be seen that,
ending the 23t1 January, the average price of po
Ne, all the market towns throughout Ireland was 4d. per
44 ts. led
.under 3s. per cwt. It did not require a man at all
i 4, with Ireland to know that this was approaching a
leer"; and, indeed, he would venture to declare that it
„atm retire than a remunerating price. Now every body
i!te,itru, it that price was a fair criterion of the existence or
Itih 'elace of scarcity. These returns then fully proved
,le. ere was no scarcity ' • and in point of highness of
1141; the figures in this return could not, for a
,Z,arnent, be compared with the figures of 1817.
Ot d.' now refer to the statements that had been made by
"W4%141 officers of the public institutions in Ireland, of
by,.,,e believed there were about 600 or 700. He had
14 those statements, and it appeared that out, of
etbe swho sent in the result of their inquiries, in reply
:,S44,`,,tretilar that had been forwarded to them by the Go-
;ltiv''ts respecting the failure in the potato crop, there were
ktY-ntne who gave any positive opinion that the fever
141, 'lt raging in Ireland was to be attributed to the blight.
ittl>otato crop. There were also seven who said, that
4,'4, :r• or some other epidemic at present existing in Ire-
IS ::t not at all attributable to bad food.—(Hear, hear.)
N 'lO that it was to be attributed to the wetness of the
171 t 4411tifficieney of clothing, and other similar causes.
itlit the medical officers certainly recommended the este-
ethe6,4t of fever hospitals in Ireland, and it appeared that
tat " men and women whom the fever had attacked in the
li" it, of Cavan, and other places, there was not one
t' is tilt an able-bodied, well-fed individual.—( Hear. )
tf,ii,° held in his hand a letter from a clergyman of the
ei4 ,ea Church of those districts, to prove the fact that
klts„,istruie with which the people had been attacked was not
t. 6e, of bad food. He also saw, from the returns which
'111,,,, to made by the medical officers, that one great evil
'ttre e Pr'--sent calamity prevailing in Ireland, was the
tonesQii which they had to travel to attend to the cases of
i"t Gf `tted, and this naturally recommended the establish-
S fey . '
kc,,lllt t„ er hospitals in that country. He was perfectly
!(e tho" admit that those medical officers had every right to
kik4l,ea se suggestions, because they had to attend in many in-
ti. ei, l'Ulents who resided at twelve miles' distance. He had
, ts,,sured to show, by the very returns which had been made
,ti %t Government, that the cause of fever in Ireland
watt the aPprehended famine • and if the Rouse would bear
~trAint a little longer, he would show, from the extracts of
`,pr communications which had been, addressed to him on
l'Ll:li4sient state of Ireland, that th.e Government were not
lies .at stating that there w
esold be an unprecedented
i'lat„ in Ireland during the ensuing summer. 'The first
v'ttlTtah_at he would quote gas his Hon. and Learned Friend
rtl4rti Jrers, a man,of considerable experience in the affairs
L dgC• that Gent.ieman stated that he had passed through
get liyut the cotsissy of Tyrone, and that he had not been
ill tit° pas'nsY,alyearance of starvation.—( Hear, hear.) He
her „°,°_,t'irough Fermanagh, Donnegal, Londonderry,
l).",,`tta,vs".f,'",,ning counties, and he must confess that the
't,," It ur " of the people and the country generally was similar
klt d, Previous years. He had also a written commuaica-
titt
I.4etlyae 17th instant, from a gentleman who was a grand
ii i 4 she country of Kildare, and whose residence
lutsid t:tte county of Wexford, and iu that statement
e• that the present amount of the distress in Ireland
I.,ik,l'4'reatly exaggerated.—( Hear, hear.) Last Saturday
0, "" purchased good potatoes at 50. per stone—( Hear,
c'tte,444 on the 18th inst. so plentiful was the supply of good
4,,,ttori '4 the same market, that they were selling at 30.
kl. 141. The same was the case in Enniscorthy and Wex-
qli,° would now go to the south of Ireland. A gentle-
Ots.itlty in the neighbourhood of Cork had stated, that
(I'4 ill Tit his memory or experience had he seen less starve-
tktSl 4.13 district ; - and a clergyman of the Established
'ma ,tu that district had stated, in a communi-
Y'l4%.° him (Mr. Shaw), that the question of the
tis,' tt: snouts). be settled upon its own merits, and
yks,; failure; of the potato cop had been greatly
th fast''4'l furorf the mere purpoite, as it would seem, of making
' r
!tit,..1_,4,t
~,he repeal of the corn-laws. The potato panic in
lltiti'llelt"' the country was, according to that gentleman's
lit;ilt ,1-' Vox et pralerea niltil. When the pits were opened
k , istrict ties Vetoes were universally tound to be very
ItS's, 41 ',gentleman resisting in Donnerail made similar state.-
t, i the last letter from which he would quote, was one
h..,th't!oer gentleman gin the South ot Ireland, dated
0 h Inst., (and he would here remark, that all the letters
litielei: Possessed on this subject were volunteer •d, with the
144tteti 'ti, of the last-mentioned one.) He (Mr. Shaw) had
\ ht that gentleman to know what was the actual state of
lkit it 4t° crop in Ireland, and in reply he said,
tkri,t b was a most singular fact, that the injury to
\,. lallt-allPeared to be the most where the greatest care had
O'IN 1,4 to avert it, and that whenever the plans recom-
-1,144 tour .destruction
Y the Commissioners were adopted, there
aloe, to set it.—( Hear, hear, and laugh. ter. ) But, on tho
0,, lVeared that the potatoes were in a very good con-
!tiler ,;(1 that farmers would be glad to supply thousands of
k Potatoes at 3d. per stone in the county of Cork.—
qttla.Z. ) It appeared*then, that the quantity of potatoes
It, he , Was muck greater and better than was supposed ;
,e,,or .-'rrespondents had stated it to be their firm belief that
il,l'ile:-4t Cry of famine in Ireland had been raised for the
k1c,,1
he
the repeal of the corn-laws.—(Hear.)
iel ,tot u he had now redeemed the pledge which he had
ti, the
hi t q,e,
.Commeneement. From the very important nature
ti,,,1 %, 't'oo, he thought the House would excuse him for
10 rk‘ touch into detail as he had done. For himself he
crtti;:t ape how any thinking man could support the proposed
14 kkpin In the corn-laws without consurnating a contingency
4,,1ii,,, 0,1 as that of which the Right Hon. Baronet appeared
1 (11,,e4elisive.—( Hear, hear, from the protectionists.) Ac •
it;titec to the Right Hon. Baronet's own showing, his
1
islitseY, Was too late for the disease.—( Hear, hear.) He
sit;' that if these measures were to pass they would be
; I::,,rlts°„4' in their effects to England, and more so to his-own
k,4 i';'—iliear. ) He could not forget that his country
kiilhe ported 3,20,000 quarters of corn to this country,
. %IplAtev"ld not think how a repeal of the corn-laws would
44%, e,ilt tine exportation of that article. He was not, he
lktltt,',lirc " political economist," but he fancied he knew
1/,,,t1e11t of common sense.— ( Protection cheers.) He
ke, tho,beY might as well tell the baker and the butcher
)s,tll,tr,t would be able to live letter on the stock which
flit'll IciTia,to on their hands, as to tell the Irish farmer he
it,
ittar, eh Mole to live better when he lost his best customers.—
ki"e 0„11.) There was something unaccountable to him
y,t, 4'..uct of the Members of the Government. The
Ole, , 44. Baronet, the Vice-President of the Board of
ts't lie%a t of even vouchsafed to the House the informati_ln
4'4,,a 1.'1,114 changed his •tpinious upon the subject. He
40) thl'se a piece of of official mechanism, and he (Mr.
Ile"' sill'ught that if the Right Honourable Baronet at the
41 isk„„the Government had not changed his opinion,
trilielsi2rl have heard nothing at all of the opinions of the
141' re 11-14'41at of the Board of Trade. He wished to suggest
tga.l4t, a Passage with reference to Caliban might be made
"3 himself :--
11 „ " Ban ! ban ! Caliban,
tit',4toar,)l Get new
het"maer, if you ean."
tilkt", fro
t he would then a much better man."—(Loud
ttl,lltl-41‘.,the protectionists.) He thought it rather hard
1,4"0r,,e' members opposite should ask questions, first with
ttlilvery tO the policy of the Government. He thought it
44tNilL„anoying for Alinistere to answer such questions. He
ittstst',crie„(l an occasion of that sort, and the Right Hon.
tti.l, I e ••• answer to similar questions, said, " Do not suppose
)ti,..are,°llternplate keeping myself in power by proposing
frk,l'is, ,f the same kind as yourselves (referring the
11, -140'n he had then thrown out) ? I till you
krqalr.'„itnrpose nothing of the sort " ( Loud cheers.)
Itlim4dl.•"i'av i ) believed that the Hon. Gentlemen who set
'iattt tlell4lacted neon one simple principle. They oppaeed
k t, Ytn h ,
k 4 ',.(11 °lig t wrong, they supported what they thought
%ag nth r"tectionist cheers.) He was persuaded that they
;II e (le lght of office. They were not so full of that as the
Nktilllleki4 c'toen opposite; they were not so apprehensive of
1 iti) and
a° the coun.ry as they were. They would take a
kes'uister 'l.' aighttorwerd course. They could not see that
114,7,..,(_with only 112 f ,Ilowers could long continue in
4teli'dedea ins"l4 cheers from the protectionists.) Ands if they
Nl° not 1 . obtaining a majority at the next election, they
ttltzt_••••..(ennhf.eyvant a leader either in that or in the other
tl:lis l', th !s.) He hoped, however, should the Bill pass
i, ed, nato his anticipation of the treasure would not be
11::teRehtektYl this however lie was sure, that throughout
,:ealaNhil°ll it would leave an indelible stain upon the
,cII el thit P_nore Englaud.—( Hear, and cheers.) It could not
71 14h.... q' 12 explanation had been given by the Members
'"g‘ Only three Metabert of the Cabinet 0