The Sun. — 1848-03-01 (London, England)

IRISH EVICTIONS.  Mr. P. SCROPE said that he wished to make to the House a statement of facts, which he had received from Mr. Tuite, who had just returned from a visit to the spot, from which, on a former occasion, he (Mr. P. Scrope) had stated that upwards of 140 persons were evicted in the most cruel and summary manner by Mr. Walsh, aided by the military force. The statement which he had originally made was not perfectly accurate in all its details with respect to Mr. Walsh, but the main facts were as he had stated them. The whole of the village now presented a scene of the utmost desolation; upwards of eighty cottagers were driven from their peaceful homes, their cottages were pulled down, and even the temporary erections which they had made to shield them from the inclemency of the weather had also been destroyed, not a vestige of them remaining. These evictions took place under the direction of Mr. Walsh, and he had heard, upon the best authority, that that gentleman was at the time in arrears of his poor-rates, and that he was now being sued by the authorities for two years' arrears of his rates. This was a state of things which should not be allowed to exist.—(Hear, hear,) If one person was able to depopulate a whole village, and to drive six hundred or seven hundred persons from their homes, then three or four such persons joining together would be able to clear a whole province. Another circumstance which made the case even still worse was, that these fearful evictions were carried on by the assistance of the police and military, acting under the direction of the Government. Such conduct was unworthy of a civilised country, and they would expect to hear of such things only in Algiers or among the Kafirs. _ _  Mr. MsONSELL said that he was surprised that, with the knowledge of the Hon. Member on this fearful state of things, he should have voted as he did last night against the motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the operation of the poor-law in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) sir G. GREY thought that it would be unwise,  without any general notice, to enter into any die • cussion on the debate of last night. He believed that no right-minded person could approve of such scenes as had been described by the Hon Member. He wa3 not in a position to give any opinion as to the accuracy of the statement made by the Hon. Member with respect to the evictions he had alluded to. He would simply state, in answer to the Hon. Member, that the Government did not lend the aid of the police or the military to these evictions ; they were only employed for the purpose of keeping order, and putting down any breach of the peace that might arise.  Mr. TATTON EGERTON deprecated the growing custom of bringing forward in a desultory man ner debates without proper notice having been given upon the subject. Mr. S. O'BRIEN stated that the division of last night showed that there were sixty-one Irish Members who voted in favour of the Committee and only eight against it, three of whom were officials connected with the Government. It was a most absurd thing to call Irish Members over to this country, and then treat all their propositions with such perfect disregard. The people of Ireland were starving, and it was now complained by the Hon. Member who had just addressed the House that the subject of Irish grievances had been brought before the attention of the House.—(Hear, hear.) What would the people of Ireland think of such a state of things, when they found that the House would not listen to the statements of their Members with respect to their grievances ?—(Hear, hear.) Mr. F. O'CONNOR said that he had long been of opinion that it was necessary to make some alteration in the existing laws of landlord and tenant in Ireland. Mr. STAFFORD regretted the delay to public business which was caused by desultory debates of this nature. The Hon. Member, who had renewed the charges to-day which he had before repeated, and then contradicted, seemed to have studied to some advantage the precedents in the country to which he had alluded, and he trusted that this system of Parliamentary murder adopted by the Hon. Member would have its due weight with the public, who would, no doubt, know full well what credence to attach to charges brought unexpectedly against absent gentlemen.—(Hear, hear.) After a few words from Mr. Wakley, Mr. C. Anstey, Mr. Sharman Crawford, Mr. O'Flaherty, Mr. Poulett Scrope, and Colonel Dunne, the subject dropped.