Star.
London, England, 1822-05-11 00:00:00

DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

The Earl of DARNLEY rose.—Their Lordships
knew, the Public knew, and his Majesty's Ministers
ought long since to have knoWn, that in certain dis-
tricts in the South-western parts of Leland, consi-
derable distress existed amongst the peasantry. Al-
though it was matter of congratulation that the sub
ject should have been taken up as warmly as it had
been by wealthy individuals in this country, and that
a noble subscription should have been produced, it
was also matter of crimination against his Majesty's
Ministers that they had not taken it up themselves,
and that being informed as they must have been of
the approach of that distress, they had not adopted
timely measures to prevent it. If the Noble Earl
could say that such measures had been adopted, not
only to relieve, but to obviate distress, he should be
most happy to hear it; but as far as he was informed,
that was not the case, and suffering had arrived to
the most alarming height. The Noble Earl then
read an extract of a letter from a Gentleman in the
County of Clare, on whose testimony he could de-
pend, stating that the distress in that County was be-
yond all possible description : that starvation was in
all parte; that the Government, to whom repeated
and strong applications had been made, had yet done
nothing ; that if it meant to do anything it would
come too late, and that without some general aid it
was impossible to know what might ensue. If this
were correct, was it not monstrous, that in an empire
which called itself united, whilst English farmers
Were suffering from excessive produce, the people of
Ireland should be allowed to starve? If it were true
that the Irish Government had been applied to, and
had taken no steps to afford relief, and if the Noble
Earl could not contradict the assertion, a case would
be made out in which their Lordships would be
bound by their duty to interfere and to carry an Ad-
dress to their Sovereign to call his attention to the
subject. The private subscription of individuals
would do some good; but it was only the interposi-
tion of the Government which could effectually re-
move 'the distress. The Noble Earl might say that
it was confined to a small part of Ireland, but it was
unfortunately but too well known how soon famine
might be fallowed by pestilence, and then not a small
dfstrict alone, but the whole country would be in-
volved in desolation. He concluded by moving. "That
an bumble Address be presented to his Majesty,
praying that he would order copies or extracts of any
correspondence which had taken place between the
Irish Government and the Secretary cf State for the
Home Department, on the subject of the distress in
Ireland, to be laid before the House."

The Earl of LIVERPOOL trusted that the expla-
nation which he should give would be satisfactory to
the House and to the country. There was no question
more full of difficulty than that of the Government
interfering to supply provisions to the people. There
was, be believed, no example of such an interposition
with respect to this country. Let tkeir Lordships
consider how, if the principle were once established,
it might is future affect the regular mode of subsist-
ence, and check the exertions of private benevolence?
The open recognition of •the principle would be at
variance with all notions of public economy. He
would fairly say, that when he heard of the state of
things in several counties in Ireland, appealing to
arise from local causes, he had been anxious that, if
possible, aid should be afforded without being made
matter of public notice and discussion in Parliament,,
as it would be better to act on the necessity of the'
case than to recognise a principle which, if once esta-
blished,, night prove the means, at some period or

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