The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY.

Mr. KEOGH inquired whether it was the intention of the
Government to introduce any Roman Catholic members into
the commission appointed to inquire into the affairs and
management of the Dublin University, the commission at
present consisting only of Protestants.
Lord J. RUSSELL replied that he was at present not in a
condition to say how the commission was composed.
SUGAR DUTIES.

Sir E. BUXTON gave notice that it was his intention to
postpone his motion regarding the sugar duties until this
day fortnight.

THE POOR-LAW.

Mr. P. SCROPE, in rising to move that a Select Com-
mittee be appointed to consider the expediency of
assimilating the poor-laws of England, Scotland, and
Ireland, and promoting the productive employ-
ment of able-bodied paupers, said he knew nothing
he could say would induce the House to determine any ab-
stract proposition on the great question, and, therefore, it was
that he asked the house to inquire into and consider the ques-
tion, and report the result of their deliberations to the House.
He might be asked why he introduced into the question a
subject apparently not immediately connected with it,viz., the
best form of relief to the able-bodied poor, but he did so for
this reason—that the main difficulty connected with the
poor in England, Ireland, and Scotland was the mode at
present existing of relieving the able-bodied poor. The
poor-law had always been considered, and he thought justly,
the most valuable of our ancient institutions, because upon
it depended the peace, order, and tranquility of the country.
The poor-law was introduced into Ireland in 1837, and ex-
tended greatly in 1847, but it was not yet assimilated in its
mode or operation to the English poor-law. The great point
of difference was the enormous disparity of out-door relief in
the two countries. In Ireland there was no out-door relief,
in England 7-Bths of the relief was out-door relief; while,
to go farther, in Scotland there was no in-door relief. There
was also great difference in the mode of levying, and without
pronouncing which was the best, he did not see
why there should not be one uniform system pursued.
Then, with respect to the management of the poor, he
thought it would be better to leave that entirely to the
Irish authorities. In England and Scotland that principle
prevailed, and why should not the principle be applied
also to Ireland?—(Hear, hear.) It would be much
more consonant to justice if they were to make the
custom uniform in the three countries. Doing so would
certainly be in keeping with our usual course of legislation.
His main reason for making this motion was the deep in-
terest which the lower classes had in this matter, and the
extent to which their welfare was affected. This was his
reason for desiring that the laws of the several countries
should be assimilated. If they did not pass some
such measure as he had proposed, the consequence woald be
that the pauper population of Ireland would be driven to
draw relief from the poor-rates of this country.—(Hear, hear,
and ironical cheers.) He hardly knew hew to understand
those:cheers of the Irish Members ; but it was an wcertaimd
fact that great numbers of that population bad been sent for
relief to the poor-rates of England ; and seeing that
this was the case, and that the poor of this country
were debarred from marrying lest they should increase their
numbers,-soine reason would seem to serve if the state of
the population in Ireland was worse than in this country.
The fact was, that in England the persons receiving
relief were one in forty ; in Scotland it was one in
twenty-eight, while in Ireland it was only one in sixteen.
So far was it from being a fact that the Irish people were
in a more destitute condition than those of any other
part of the country.
An Hox. Mr:Amu: then moved that the House be counted,
and there being only 27 Members present, the House
adjourned.

_ - -
GOOSEBERRIES IN FEBRUARY'--DUNOON.—Such is
the extreme mildness of the season at th;s beautiful watering-
place, that Mr. Robertson, of Gowan Bank, West Bay, was
able to furnish a lady with a small basketful of gooseberries
to send to London last weeks—Kelso Chronicle.