The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-13 00:00:00

MERCANTILE MARINE BILL.

On the motion of Mr. LABOUCHERE, the Lords'
amendments to the Mercantile Marine Bill were agreed to.

PETITIONS.

Mr. G. A. HAMILTON presented a petition from
Dublin, complaining of certain provisions in the Medi-
cal Charities (Ireland) Bill, and of the he.s'y manner
in which the Bill was passed through Committee.
Sir G. GREY presented a petition from certain coal-
owners in Northumberland and Durham against the
application of the coal tax, and in defraying the expense
of-any improvements in L indon.
CRIME AND OUTRAGE ACT (IRELAND) CON-
TINUANCE (No. 2) BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this Bill,
Mr. G. THOMPSON moved that the Bill be read a
third time this day three months, because he believed that
it was wholly unnecessary, because no case.had been made
out for the continuance of so obnoxious a measure, and
because it would have a tendency directly the opposite of
that which her Majesty's Ministers proposed it should
have in tranquillizing Ireland. He considered that
though the Bill might put powers in the hands of
the Lord-Lieutenant to repress crime and to
punish those who might offend against it,
it would arm tens of thousands of individuals with
a strong argument to use against the Government, more
especially as no measure either before the House or
promised, or which had been passed, went to the root of
those evils in respect of which the present
Bill had been introduced. The Bill was not only
unnecessary, but it was an insult, an injustice,
and an outrage upon the Irish people.—(Hear.)
It should not he forgotten, in connexion with the mea-
sure that when the liberties of Ireland were placed in
jeopardy only 15 out of 105 Irish Members could be
found to vote against the continuance of an arbi-
trary and unconstitutional form of government for
a further period of three years.—(Hear, hear.)
Oa the second reading of the Bill, Mr. O'Connell moved
an amendment to the effect that the Bill would tend to
aggravate crime and outrage in Ireland, and on that oc-
casion the Noble Lord now at the head of the Govern-
ment, and the greater part of the present Ministry, voted
against the amendment, though many of the Ho-
nourable Gentlemen on that side of the House
then voted with Mr. O'Connell against the
Coercion Bill, and now voted with the Noble Lord in
favour of a Coercion Bill. Oa the third reading of the
Bill, in 1846, the greater part •of the present Ministry
voted against the Bill, and now, in 1850, they were found
voting in favour of a similar measure. On that occasion
Sir Robert Peel was turned out. of office, and the Noble
Lord formed a Ministry, and attempted to govern
Irelatid. In 1847 the Noble Lord was placed
in the humiliating, position of recommending the
same measure in her Majesty's Speech, the
adoption of which he' had the year before opposed.
That measure was passed. It was now expired, and
they were called upon to continue it; but if the House
did justice to themselves and the country, they would
refuse its continuance. What was the case made out for
the present Bill? Some months ago they were told frum
the Throne that peace and .tranquillity prevailed in
Ireland. Now, had this state of things changed? He
for one said it bad not, and yet they were
called upon to pass the Bill in the absence of any case in
its favour. The total number of crimes and outrages com-
mitted or reported in Ireland in the past year amounted
to 1,344, while in 1845, when Sir Robert Peel proposed
to pass his Bill, the number reported in excess of the
previous• year amounted to 1,975, or 631 less than
the returns of last year. In the face of these figures,
then, could any one dare to assert that a case
existed to justify the passing of this obnoxious
Bill, sanctioning peralties that were utterly at
variance with the principles of the constitution?
It could not bo that this Bill was proposed because
they had had no experience of coercion, for ever since
the Act of Union the policy of every Government to-
wards Ireland had been based upon coercion. Before,
therefore, he could consent to make this Bill law he
must have some further information in its
favour. In 1846 the Noble Lord at the head
of the present Government called upon the Admi-
nistration under Sir Robert Peel to go at once to
the root of the Irish evil, and,- abandoning coercion,
try, the effect of remedial measures. Now he made the
same call upon tho Noble Lord himself. Why.
Could not Parliament be asembled tegether in Novem-
ber next, expressly to consider the Irish ques-
tion? The fact was, the Noble Lord suffered himself
to be forced into legislating for the few at the ex-
pense of the many, but ho hoped ere long the Noble
Lerd would be induced to follow the dictates of his better
nature, and reverse that policy. He concluded by mov-
ing that the Bill be read a third 'time that day three
months, declaring that he would resist the measure to
the very last.
Mr. MOORE tendered the English Members who had
opposed this Bill his best thanks for the service they had
rendered to Ireland on this occasion, though ho should
have liked it much better if that support had been given
with less of self-glorification and less of. asperity. He
concluded by seconding the motion.
• Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL regretted her Majesty's Mi-
nisters had thought it necessary to propose the conti-
nuance of the Crime and Outrage Act. •He believed
that a mild remedy was much more likely to cure the
disease under which Ireland laboured then the severe one
which was involved in this Bill. ; He wtsuld now, as he
had always done. oppose the further progress of the Bill.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS said he little thought that the
first vote he should give aftST his return to that House
would be upon an Irish Coercion Bill. Coercion Bills
and standing armies still ruled the Government of Ire-
land, as they had always done. Those Coercion Bills
had been passed over and over again, and still crime had
gone on in the country •in scarcely any diminiehed
ratio. The cause Of crime in Ireland was that the hands
of the oppressed -were raised against their oppressors.
In consequence of the number of evictions which had
taken place, thousands of people were lei destitute in
the high roads to perish from want of -proper food and
clothing; and yet the Noble Level (Lord John Russell)
not only had it in his power to remedy that evil
by a measure for improving the relations between
landlord and tenant, but might be enabled,' by some
such measure, to stay the hand of the assassin much
better than by an act of coercion like the present.' He
had been in every part of Ireland, and he declared he
bad never seen in any other part of the world the people
in so miserable and wretched a condition. The
serfs of Russia and the savage Indians ini America
were much better off. Instead of the revenue derived
from Ireland being employed for the legitimate pnpose
of improving the condition of the country, it was ex-
pended upon a standing army, and the other accompa-
ninients of a coercive Government. It had been said, all
the evils of Ireland arose from the people themselves,
but he denied that it was so. He had seen Irishmen in
our North American provinces; and in all parts of the
United States, competing successfully in every branch of
industry 'with Englishmen, Scotchmen, French-
He thought that all the
hmeen,fo'
uanndd
thDeumtchinmfeenri,or. add in no instance had
was to be attributed to bad
misery of the Irish people
and unjust
urtmlaeWass,ae for theirnditrestreedliwefi.th the Noble Lord to
pass
Sir C. ARMSTRONG objected to the Bill, observing
;hat the condition of Ireland arose from our vicious
,egislation.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the third reading ..• ... 75
Against it ...
Majority

•• • -54

The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
The Lough Corrib Improvement Company Compen-
sation (Ireland) Bill was read a third time and passed.
On the consideration of the amendments to the Copy.
right of Designs Act Amendment Bill,
Culonel SIBTHORP stigmatised this Bill as one of
those free-trade measures which the present Ministers
introduced to please their party. This was of a piece
with that piece of tom-foolery of the Exhibition of 1851.
They were throwing cold water upon the industry of the
British manufacturer, they were undermining the con-
stitution, and they should beware lest they should be
setting
in motion that which they could not stop. There
was a report that the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary
of State for the Home Department intended to increase
the police
force, and he should be glad t-, know from
the Right
Hen. Gentle.inan himself if there was any
truth in the l'ilX,IL lie believed thtt such a measure
would be necessay, and an increase in the taxation
would follow as a ina,ter of cuurse. I; was proposed
after they had received the report that they should at
once proceed to the third reading. The state of
.the

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