The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-08-25 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDA-1i

Lord JOHN RUSSELL announced that the Government
had abandoned their intention of renewing the Irish Arms
Bill.

Sir DE LACY EVANS wished to know whether anything
bad been done towards the erection of a monument to Sir
Robert Sale, and if not, what was the cause of this delay.
Lord AIORPETH said that the matter was under consi-
deration.

Sir DE LACY EVAN 6 wished also to ask the First Lord
of the Treasury what provision had been, or is intended
to be made for the widow and family of the late .General
Sir R. Sale ?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL could not say that any provision
for the family of Sir Robert Sale had been agreed to at
140,2 present, but he could say t • was the intention of her
Majesty's government to mend to her Majesty to
grant a pension of .£1„500 a-. ear ; but still it should be
recallected that a measure of this kind could not be ar-
ranged without a reference to the source from whence the
means were to be derived. Several friends of the gallant
officer, General Nott, who had also fallen in cinsecluence
of his services in that part of the world, had put forward
the claims of his family; and very justly. But still, in
the present session of Parliament, it was impossible to take

the matters into immediate consideration. The gallant
officer might, however, be assured that the matter, Es it
was entitled to it, would receive the best consideration of
government.
Sir DE LACY EVANS was perfectly satisfied.

Lord J. RUSSELL understood this moment, from a
friend near him, that £5OO a-year had already been granted
to Lady Sale.

Sir DE LACY EVANS trusted that, as that allowance
had been made for a totally different service, and one which
had no reference whatever to the loss of her lamented
husband, that his Lordship would discard that circum-
stance altogether from his mind, in considering the pen-
sion to which she was now entitled.

Mr. WARBURTON, seeing the President of the Board of
Control in his place, wished to read a statement in the
Stamford Mercury. It was a letter'said to be received
from private John Lunn, by his father, in Lincolnshire,
and professed to give an account of the battles in India.
After describing the engagement on the 20th December,
lie gives an account of the proceedings of the army on the
subsequent days. In doing so, this passage occurs—" On
the following morning early we commenced slaying and
shooting the prisoners, which kept us the whole of the day.
On the 22d we commenced our march." Now this was a
statement so utterly disgraceful to the British arms, that,
if true, the delinquents ought to be punished with the ut-
most severity, and, if false, the report ought to be met by
the most public and unequivocal contradiction.
Sir JOHN CAM Honnousz quite agreed with the hon.
member that this assertion ought to have every explana-
tion, and he was happy to say that there was not a single
word of truth in the statement from beginning to end.
Immediately after the engagement the whole of the British
surgeons had devoted all their energies to the relief of the
wounded Sikhs as well as to their British comrades, very
much to the surprise of the for mer, by whom such con-
duct was altogether unexpected.
Mr. %VARLET expressed his regret that a noble lord
(Redesdale,) in another place, should have thought proper
to condemn the verdict of the Hounslow jury. The hon. ,
member then defended the verdict, and, at sortie length,
repeated his strong objection to corporeal punishment in
the army and navy.
The house having gone into committee on the Public
Works (Ireland) Bill,
Lord J. RUSSELL rose and addressed the house at con-
siderable length on the present state of Ireland. After some
preliminary remarks, the noble lord alluded to the failure
of the potato crop, and pointed out the distress to which
it must universally lead in a country like Ireland, where
the potato formed so great a portion of food. On the oth
of September orders were given for purchasing Indian corn
to the amount of £lOO,OOO, for the use of the population.
The next step taken was to obtain employment for labour
in commencing public works, and other measures to give
relief to distress occasioned by the failure of the potato
crop. The measure of the late government, in providing
Indian corn, appeared to have been attended with the
most beneficial effects; it had removed prejudices which
formerly existed against ttda 'satin 'Stasis food, •
sufficient subsistence to those who were compelled to ask
it. He was happy to say, that all persons in Ireland, who
bad the power, were willing to contribute towards the re-
lief of the existing distress. (Hear.) Sine December
last, up to the harvest in August, the necessities of the
poor in Ireland had been provided for, and the country '
bad been tranquil. The arrangements, however, which it
bad been obliged to make were necessarily attended with
many inconveniences; and if the Treasury were obliged
regularly to make advances, it would impede, if not upset.
the ordinary courses of trade. At present there was em-
ployment in Ireland, with good wages, and the harvest was
likely to be good. But, he regretted to say, that from all
the accounts received from that country, the failure in the
potato crop was likely to be much greater this year than
last year, and, in some cases, the crop would be altogether
lost. The noble lord here read a number of letters, re-
ceived by the government, describing the nature and ex-
tent of the potato disease, some of which stated that they
believed that the principal part of the crop would be alto-
gether unfit for human food. It therefore became the
duty of the government to consider what measures it was
necessary to take under the present emergency. It ap-
peared to him the first object was to direct attention to
public works; they should therefore introduce a bill, the
object of which would be to give the Lord-Lieutenant, on
proper representations being made to him, the power of
directing the commencement of public works, which would
be conducted under the direction of public officers. It was
proposed that advances should be made by the Treasury
for the construction of those works for a period of ten
years, paying nn interest of 3i per cent. There was ano-
ther measure to be proposed in case of very poor districts
—that was a grant of £50,000 under the sanction of an act
of parliament, which sum raised for those districts was not
to be repaid. They also proposed that commissariat offi-
cers should be placed in different districts in Ireland, and
regularly report on the distress which might exist. With
regard to relief committees, he had taken care that they
should be impartially and fairly appointed. He should
propose to the committee, first to vote a sum sufficient to
pay the expenses which had already been incurred, and
£50,000, to which he before allured, in the more distressed
districts. Potatoes being such a necessary article of food
in Ireland, he thought it justified the government in tak-
ing extraordinary steps to prevent famine, and to show the
people of Ireland that the British parliament was at all
times anxious to meet and provide for their wants, when
it was possible to do so. (Hear.) He was in hopes that
the construction of public works would give employment
and satisfaction. The noble lord sat down amidst much
cheering. _ _

The first vote proposed was for an advance of £175,000
for public works, (Ireland), and also for an additional ad-
vance in Exchequer-bills to an amount of £50,000.
After a few words from Mr. HUME,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, large pri-
vate orders had been sent to the United Slates for a sup-
ply of Indian corn for Ireland, and therefore he hoped that
it would not be necessary for the government to interfere
with the regular course of trade in corn.
After the debate, during which the proposal of Lord J.
Russell was generally approved of,
The vote of £173,000 for public works in Ireland was
agreed to, and also a further vote for £30,000.

Mr. B. ESCOTT gave notice that he should ask the noble
lord, whether he intended to remove the restrictions which
now exited on the importation of food. It was unusual
to continue restrictive duties on the importation of corn
when a famine might be expected.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he was quite ready to answer the
question now. It was not the intention of government to
interfere with laws relating to the importation of grain.
He considered the corn laws had been settled.
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and the house
resumed.

On the order of the day being read for going into a com-
mittee of supply,
Lord G. BENTINCK rose, and brought forward the mo-
tion of which he had given notice—viz., to call the atten-
tion of her Majesty's ministers to the present state of the
carrying trade between Great Britain and the Spanish co-

lonies.
Lord PALMERSTON promised inquiry ; and After a ra-
ther interesting debate the subject dropped.
The Supplemental Navy Estimates underwent discus-
sion ; some miscellaneous business was transacted, and
the house adjourned

HOUSE OF OF LORDS.-TUESDAY

The Royal Assent was given by commission to several
bills, amongst which were the following :—The Sugar Du-
ties Bill, Religious Opinions Relief Bill, Guage of Rail-
ways Bill, Deodands Abolition Bill, Highway Rates Con-
tinuance Bill, Loan Societies Bill, Turnpike Acts Con-
tinuance Bill, Stock in Trade Bill, Copvhold Commission
Bill, Plymouth Great Western Dock Bill.
On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, the Bill for Abo-
lishing the exclusive Rights of Guilds and Fraternities in
Ireland was read a second time.
On the motion of Earl GREY, the Drainage of Lands
second time, and ordered to be ccm-

mitred on Frida

motion of the Earl of CLARENDON, the Public
' - 3 Bill was read a s,.eorid time ; and the
'mental Fund Bill was read a third

N'aval Medical
time and passed

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY

Lord G. B

attention to the circumstances

INCK C

ly appointee

Chief Justice of Bombay, svmen ne ciniur u US ,1 gross
job on the part of the late government. The appointment
was made on the 30th of June, three days after the go-