National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-02-07
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
A Debate on the Suffering in Ire
land.
Home Rule Arraignment of the Government
Sir Stafford Northcote Defends the
Ministry--Crop Statistics Presented
An Alarming Decrease in
ProduotiOn-Ualf Crop
of Potatoes, &c.



LONDON Feb 6-Iu tho House of Commons
to-day Mr.. William A. Redmond, Home.Rule
member for Wexford, moved, and O'Gordon
AIahon, Home Rule member for Clare, sec
onded tho amendment for the address Mr..
William Shaw, In speech In support Of the
amendment says lie had no wish TO con.
demu the government for what they were 60
ing to do In the future, but for what they had
done in the past. II the Government had Of
fered to make advances TO the Irish farmers
in the first instance at the rate of one per
cent tnoy might have done much to avert the
calamity which is now upon Ireland The
Government ought also to have given greater
powers to the boards Of guardians. lie said
gradual process of starvation had been going
on in Ireland for some time. He did not wish
the government to lavish too much money on
public works, because the people were demor-
allied by the manner in which money had
been wasted in 1877. 1t was discredltable to
England's greatness that thrce .iourths of the
people should be reduced to a condition barely
removed from actual famine by two or three
bad harvests. He acknowledged that the
problem to be solved was difficult ono, but
the diificulty was not insuperable.
Sir Stafford Northcote next spoke. He said
hc found no fault with the Irish members for
taking this early opportunity for drawing
attention to 80 important matter, but they
would be going beside the question Of distress
by occupying themselves with such points as
those dealt with in the amendment. He dis.
tinctly denied that the government had al
lowed tho matter to sleep. Ho said the re-
port OF the Registrar General for the past year
just received disclosed very unsatisfactory
state of things. The extent of land under
crops in Ireland was less than during any of
the preceding ten years The total value Of
the principal crops for 1870 is estimated at
G23,00O,000, against G33,000,000 for the pre-.
ccding year.
Tho potato crop Of 1878 was estimated at
50,500,0 600 hundred weight, whereas IL is cx-
pected that the yield for 1879 will be only
100000 hundred weight, most alarming
| decrease. Toward the end Of last October tho
| Irish government forwarded to the Cabinet In
| formation which the government took into
serious consideration, inviting tho Lord Lieu.
tenant and Others TO attend in London. The
government found that there was considerable
| apprehension of famine in some parts of Ire.
land, They thercupOn took the precautions
necessary until the meeting of Parliament
The Chancellor said that in bill which hs
intended at later period to introduce
there would be provisions authorizing
the local government board to authorize
| the boards Of guardians to issue food and fuel
| by way Of outdoor relief, 1t would also be
| proposed to allow boards Of guardians to Dor
| row money in exceptional cases. The ques
tion of stimulating the employment of labor
was one full of dihiculty, but the government
| was desirous of doing something in that
direction and they thought it best to give
| some encouragement to persons to borrow
money to be used in the improvement Of their
land, therefore they propose to advance loaui
on exceedingly easy terms to landlords TO ID
used for that purpose, The barouial session,
| would also be asked TO make preseutments.
TIL eodoro Donohue (Liberal), Tralee, said
the course was TO lend money to iarmers-not
| to landlords.
The debate was continued by the following
| Dt,1. ,1g,g LII
| ,Cort), Mr.. Arthur Moore lClonmel) DR.,
Michael Ward Galway, Maj. Francis O'Beirne
| (Lcitrm), Mr.. Charles Joseph Fay (Cavanl
| Mr.. Patrick Martin tkilkeuny), aud Mr.. John
George MaCCarthy (Msllowj, ull Of whom con
demned the governments plans as inadequate,
The Right Hon, d. r. Plunkctt, Conservative
member for Dublin University, said Mr.
ParnelPs utteranccs would only be received
| with loathIug, and their result might be an
| agitation, which would end in q bloody resist
auco to law.
Mr.. f. II, O'Donnell Home Rule, Dun.
garvanl rose to point of order to this ex'
| preston,
The Speaker ruled Mr.. Pluuketts language
| uuparliamcutary.
Nh. Plunkett submitted to the ruling of the
Speaker and qualified his language slightly.
Mr.. Alexander Martin Sullivan Home Rule,
| Louth) GnorgetiCally defended Parncll.
Right Hon. James LQwthcr chief secretary
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, stated that
| no case of death from starvgtio had occurred.
| Mr.. Mitchell Henry, Home Rulo member
! from Galway, moved the adjournment of the
| debate, which was agreed to-
| Sir Stafford NOrthcote, Chancellor OF the
ExcheQuer, then obtained leave to bring in
| bill to render valid tho proceedings for tho
| relief of the Irish distress, and to make fur.
| thcr provisions therefor, He explained that
| the advances would come ont Of the fund at
the disposal of the Irish Church Temporali.
| ties Commission.