The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-06 00:00:00

THE ADDRESS.

On the motion of the order of the day for the second
reading of the Report of the Committee appointed to
draw up the address.
Mr. HUME said, though he hadno objection to the ad-
dress in general, still there were some points on which
he wished to make a few observations. They congratu-
lated her Majesty on the state of the public finances, but
he regretted there was no prospect of relief for the
people. There was to be no relief of taxation, while there
was to be a great increase in the naval estimates. He
had hoped that they should have received some intima-
tion of some relief to be granted to commerce by the
removal of troublesome and oppressive duties to which
it was now subjected. But not one word was stated of
any such intention ; he therefore wished,,before he gave
his sanction to the continuance of the income-tax, which
this address implied, to press on the Government the
necessity of affording some compensation for it by a re-
duction of duties on articles of consuniption. The
Right Hon. Baronet had complained last night of a fac-
tious attack being made upon him by the Noble Lord
(Russell) on the question of Otaheite. But if that ques-
tion was made the ground of any factious opposition, he
(Mr. Hume) did not belong to that party,-for he thought
that the manner in which that question had been settled
was highly creditable to the moderation of the Govern-
ment, and had been the means of preserving peace be-
tween this country and France.
Mr.:WILLIAMS complained that the speech made
no allusion whatever to the destitution of, many classes
of the people, especially in the manufacturing districts,
where great distress and privation werestill experienced.
This was a state of things this country should not en-
dure. It had been boasted that England was at peace
with the world—he was happy to hear it ; but it availed
little to the people of England if the expenditure was
not reduced.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that some
Member of the Government would give an explanation
which would satisfy the people of England that this vast
expenditure was necessary ; nothing but dissatisfaction
prevailed on the subject.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD called the attention of the
House to the paragraph in her Majesty's speech relative
to the Landlord and Tenant Commission in Ireland,
and expressed a sincere and earnest wish that the Govern
ment would introduce some measure founded upon it,
which would allay the discontent which, he regretted to
say, was so deep and so universally prevalent in Ireland.
In fact, he never knew the state of unfortunate Ireland
to be so dreadful or alarming as at the present moment.
Murders and assassinations were going on, in particular
districts, to an immense extent, and it, would be found
impossible to prevent the continuance of this lawless vio-
lence unless some such regulations were established be-
tween landlord and tenant. On a former occasion he had
introduced a measure on this subject, but, at the request
of the Right Hon. Baronet, withdrew it, and he regretted
that Right Hon. Gentleman had not himself propounded
some measure on the subject. He hoped the Right Hon.
Baronet would not allow the session to pass over with-
out introducing some measure in reference to this
matter. Some lien must be given to the tenant in the
land on which it was expected he would spend his
labour and his capital. The new poor-law must
be modified and reformed in many important particulars.
Great, and he must say just, discontent prevailed
throughout England from the injustice and oppression
of many of its provisions. The present system of poor-
laws took away the right which the labourer had to
demand subsistence or employment, and gave him but a
very inadequate and harsh remedy against actual desti-
tution. The loyalty of the people of England had been
lauded. He thought there was more justice in the
encomium than there ever had been, but if the Govern-
ment wished to keep them so, they must remodel and
mollify the present poor-law.
Mr. WALLACE was understood to -say that by
agreeing to the address he did not pledge himself to
vote for the navy estimates.
Sir R. PEEL said, though the Hon. Gentleman had
voted for the address, he would be at perfect liberty to
take what course he thought proper on the estimates.

Mr. WAKLEY said he did not think a more popular
tax than the income-tax could be devised, but he
thought that if even the principle of the sliding
scale was sanctioned, it should be in this instance.
The principle of a sliding scale, it it could be at all con-
sidered applicable or equitab'e, should surely be allowed
between real property and that precarious description of
income derivable from professions and trades.—(Hear.)
The Right Hon. Baronet must know that the income-
tax in this respect was most unpopular. But the circum-
stance which would most operate on the public mind in
favour of this tax, and which could alone render it tole-
rable, was a reduction in the revenue. If that species
of taxation which interfered with trade and commerce
were removed—that taxation which was so injurious to
the labourer, by interfering with supply—the income-tax
would be borne without murmur or discontent. The
speech from the throne seemed to infer that no distress
prevailed among the people of this country; but be (Mr.
Wakley) entirely agreed with the Hon. Member for Co-
ventry, that among the unskilled labourers great distress
nrevailed. It was, in fact, impossible to present an ade-
quate picture of the sufferings of this class. He hoped,
when the Right Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir J. Graham)
brought in a Bill with reference to the law of settlement,
a Committee would be appointed to inquire into the con-
dition of these people. The circumstances under which
they were living ought to be made manifest to the
House, for the majority of the House knew nothing of
the privations to which this mass w ere exposed. The
sufferings of the people under the present law of settle-
ment were indescribable. A labourer, for instance,
goes to a distance from his native place, marries,
rears a family and dies ; his wife makes application for
relief ; what is the answer to her application ? "Wo
will give you a loaf or two of bread, or a shilling or two,
but if you come again, we must give you an order for
reception into the house ; and when the time prescribed
by law elapses, we will pass you home." Where ? To
her husband's settlement—a hundred miles distant, and
which he left twenty years ago.—(Hear, hear.) She
knew nobody residing there—had no friend—no rela-
tive—had never seen one of her husband's relatives.
But the overseer replies : " All that may be, but I can't
help the state of the law."—(Hear, hear.) Sooner than
endure all this she suffers all the misery of prolonged
starvation. It was impossible that the present poor-
law could much longer exist.—(Hear.) He would state
what came under his own immediate notice on Saturday
last. A poor man, a labourer, of good character, 26
years of age, died in the parish of (as we caught it)
Royston, in this county. Six months previously him-
self and his wife lived in Iver, in Buckinghamshire.
One or both became ill, and chargeable to that parish.
21 ss. had been incurred fur their maintenance during
three weeks, but just before the time expired, fearing
they would be passed home to their native place,
in the degraded condition of paupers, they tra-
velled to Royston themselves, and took an apartment
furnished, if furnished a room could be called, the whole
contents of which were not worth 2s. 6sl. They were
carted to the overseers at Royston, and immediately
after that conveyed back to their lodging. The poor
man was out of work, his wife ill, and they were in a
state of the most miserable destitution. This man said,
We must go to the relieving officer, we . must have
relief, or we shall die." See what occurred in conse-
quence of the size of the union.—(Hear, hear.) The
woman, in extreme suffering, left home without money
or food, to go to the relieving officer at Hillingdon, five
miles distant, in the depth of winter.—(Hear, hear.)
She described to the relieving officer the state of desti-
tution to which the family was reduced. What was
his auswer?—and the man acted in conformity with