would not be afraid of this man or of that man-that they would act in a straightforward manner-that they would remember that the inhabitants of Ireland had a right recognise him at once holding a high situa- | security to the innocent, and to enable tion in Ireland. His answer was-Come them to find that the British constitution life or come death, nothing should move was their safety and security, and not the him from his position. In looking at the instrument which exposed them to danger. distressing circumstances in which the He hoped Her Majesty's Government were country was placed, he trusted their Lord-in earnest in their measures-that they ships would bear in mind what was the cause of its present position, or at least one of its causes. He maintained that it had been the course taken by a base press in writing every day calumnies of the gross-to protection by the same law which deest kind, not against individuals, but against the class of resident landholders in Ireland, who were held up to reprobation, as only fitted to be swept away from the face of the earth, instead of being, as they were, as honest, as determined, and as high-minded individuals as ever existed on the face of the earth. He could not say that there were no exceptions-he would not say that there were no bad landlords -where was the country where there were none? but he spoke of them as a class, for as a class they were referred to. This system was not carried on by the press alone, but even at public meetings, where the real circumstances could not be referred to, they were branded as tyrants and oppress ors. manded their allegiance-and that their lives were not to be exposed merely because it was their misfortune to live in that portion of the empire. In conclusion, he could not help congratulating the House and the country, and noble Lords opposite, on this fact, that whatever measures Her Majesty's Ministers might propose, they might depend upon their being carried into effect by the individual who was now representing Her Majesty in Ireland. He believed Lord Clarendon was a man who, during the short time he had been in Ireland, had procured for himself the attachment of all classes there. He hoped that the Government on this side the water would do their duty; he was sure the noble Lord would do his; but it depended upon them to give him that power, without which all his efforts, and determination, and energy, would be of no avail. These calumnies had been answered in the most effective manner by the anxious discharge of their duties in the support and relief of the poor around them. But even now their Lordships saw that these EARL FITZWILLIAM said, that he calumnies were still carried on. What would entirely pass over one of the quesmeasures might be necessary to repress tions which had been introduced in this the present outrages it was not for him to debate, for the purpose of meeting some of say. Certainly the first step ought to be the observations made by the noble Earl the disarmament of the people. Could who had just sat down, with respect to the anything be conceived more preposterous landed proprietors of Ireland, who were than to see labouring men come to their represented in the last Session of Parliawork with firelocks and pistols in their ment as a class of persons who should be hands, and as you went through the coun- swept from the face of the earth. He try to meet hundreds of armed men along thought that some repentance ought to be the public roads? Therefore the first act now exhibited by the persons who had so which Government ought to do should be characterised them. With respect to the by some means to take these arms from Speech which they had that day heard individuals. But that was not enough. read, he thought that it did not touch suffiThe common law of the land had been ciently on the distress which prevailed in proved to be inadequate to meet the diffi- the different parts of Ireland; and the culty. The experience of every man tes- whole course of the debate had, in consetified this, that a state of open rebellion quence, turned on the amount of crime would not be half so dangerous as the pre-alone, while the distresses of the people sent state of things. An open foe you could meet-an open foe you could fight an open foe you could be prepared for; but no man could provide against the present system, where, as you travelled along the road, you were liable to be shot from behind a wall in the open day. He called upon their Lordships, therefore, to give were altogether passed over. He would ask any noble Lord who had resided in Ireland within the last twelve months-he should like to know from any Member of Her Majesty's Ministry-whether any calculation had been made respecting the number of persons in that country for whom it would be absolutely necessary to import food in the course of the coming to comprehend how the people in these disyear? In any calculation that he had tricts were to exist at all. The Governmade, he could not conceive the possibility ment had parcelled out Ireland into 130 of less than two millions of persons in Ire- unions; but he (Earl Fitzwilliam) would land being utterly dependent on imported consider it as only one; and if the food-food not to be supplied to the peo- community, in a season of scarcity, ple, according to the rules of trade, but to was unable to provide its members with be freely and absolutely found them. He sustenance, he held that the duty then would venture to suggest to the noble Earl devolved upon the Government. He beside him (Earl Grey), whether there were begged the noble Lord near him not to not parts of the country to which the rules imagine that the poor-law had rid him of of trade could not apply? Whether there Ireland, or that that country would not were not parts of Ireland which, if corn again be a burden upon England, or rather were not freely imported, would not neces- upon the empire. He assured him that sarily be unprovided for? Her Majesty's such she would still continue to be, unless Speech expressed a hope that much dis- some means very different from any yet tress might be avoided through the medium adopted were taken to enable Ireland to of the poor law. In some parts of Ireland raise herself from the leaden slumber in this law would be found valueless. Her which she had for so many years been Majesty trusted that the distress would be bound. materially relieved by the exertions which EARL GREY said, that he would detain had been made to carry into effect the law the House for a very short time, as he only of last Session for the support of the des- wished to say a few words in answer to the titute poor. Now, he had already said noble Lord who had last addressed their that this law would be unable to provide Lordships. That noble Lord had stated food for numbers of the destitute poor if that no noble Lord who had preceded him this food were not "found" for them. He in the debate, had alluded to the distresses did not consider his estimate of 2,000,000 of Ireland, but had dwelt almost exclusively of persons who would require relief in the upon the crimes committed in the country. next year overdrawn. He believed that the He (Earl Grey) regretted that his noble land at present under potato culture was Friend had not adopted the same courseonly one-fifth of that appropriated to this he deeply regretted that he had not exercrop in ordinary times. Supposing, then, eised the same abstinence, and avoided that 7,000,000 of persons, who in ordinary altogether any reference to this topic. He times lived exclusively on potatoes, had regretted that he had not done so, because now only one-fifth of the land under culti- in the present state of the country, and vation, it would of course follow that in an comparing the present with the past year, equal proportion to the ground cultivated he did not think it his duty to encourage would be the distress in Ireland; in other any hope in the people of Ireland that they words, that only one-fifth of 7,000,000 of might look in the time coming for relief people, or 1,400,000, would have sufficient frem the general fund of the empire. It food; and that 5,600,000, or supposing was necessary under the pressure of a that number lessened by disease and death, great calamity last year to grant what he that 5,000,000 would be without it. He might term an almost profuse relief; but knew that it might be said that the potato it should be remembered, that, under the might be supplied by other food of a dif- circumstances, it was absolutely necessary ferent description; but their Lordships to do so in order to avert fearful calamities might perhaps be aware that there was no which would otherwise have occurred. This species of food which, according to the most relief had been in some degree attended favourable calculations, would give the same with unhappy consequences. It was imamount of sustenance per acre as the po- possible for them to conceal from themtato. Now he did not think, that however selves that the granting of relief, even in much they might condemn the crimes of the circumstances of that period, in those individuals, they should allow no pity for pressing circumstances-it was impossible their sufferings; and he hoped the Govern- to conceal from themselves that it had ment would take into consideration the been attended with a serious amount of fact, that in the parts of Ireland to which evil. It had the evil of tending to foster he had referred, the poor-law would af in the minds of the people of Ireland a deford no relief. If no other plan than this pendence upon others than themselves. It should be adopted, he was utterly at a loss had also been attended with great evil in this country, for it had increased the want of capital under which the commerce of the country had so recently laboured; and under these circumstances he did not think that at the present moment, and in the present state of the country, it was expedient to use language which might lead to a hope that Government assistance would be afforded, or that they might look to that House rather than to themselves in any future emergency. No doubt peculiar cases might arise in which sustenance might hereafter be given; and there could be no doubt that where the case demanded it, such sustenance would be afforded; but he was happy to inform the noble Lord that there still remained a certain quantity of corn and other provisions in the country, which was under the control of the Government; and his noble Friend would perhaps be aware also that the British Association still possessed considerable funds, which would be applicable to the relief of extreme cases. He could only, therefore, express his sincere and earnest hope that these means would be found amply sufficient to meet the difficulties in the districts to which the noble Lord had referred. He could not conceive of any greater hardship than that of being compelled to open the public purse for the purpose of relieving destitution in that country. He would not go further into this question at this time; but he would merely say one word with respect to what had fallen from his noble Friend opposite (Lord Ashburton) relative to the Bank Charter Act. His noble Friend at the head of the Council, who had shortly before left the House, had requested him to supply an omission which he had made, which was, that it was the intention of the Government to institute an inquiry into the causes of the recent commercial distress, more particularly with a view of ascertaining how far that distress was to be attributed to the law relating to the issue of notes payable on demand. His right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had given notice that evening, in the other House, of a Motion for the appointment of the Committee on this subject. He would not, in the present state of the House, trouble their Lordships with any further observations. In answer to questions from LORD REDESDALE, EARL GREY said, that all Bills at the present period of the Session would necessarily originate with the other House of Parliament, and it was not the intention of the Government to move the appointment of the Committee to consider the Bank Charter Act in their Lordships' House. Address agreed to. House adjourned. — ཨ་་ཡཡ་་་ HOUSE OF COMMONS, Tuesday, November 23, 1847. MINUTES.] PUBLIC BILLS. 1o Outlawries. ADDRESS IN ANSWER TO THE SPEECH. A Message being received to attend the Lords Commissioners, the House went; and being returned, MR. SPEAKER reported the Lords Commissioners' Speech, and read it to the House: then MR. HEYWOOD said, that in rising to propose that an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, conveying the thanks of that House for the gracious communication from the Throne, he must, in the first instance, request that indulgence for himself which had usually been accorded to new Members of that House. This was the more needed in his case, because unfortunately it was out of his power to congratulate the House upon the prosperity of the country. The commercial towns of this country had, he deeply regretted to say, for some time past been afflicted by an extreme depression. The majority of the mills in the manufacturing districts of Lancashire were working short time, and a considerable number were stopped altogether. It might probably be found that much of this state of things was owing to undue speculation in railways-a time which would most likely be characterised as the iron age of England. He found that the amount of loans authorised and shares created under Acts of Parliament for railways in Great Britain and her colonies, was no less than 299,147,000l. Of this amount there was already paid on shares 120,640,000l., and on loans 40,409,0007.; making 161,049,000l., leaving outstanding engagements for 130,098,000l., as further money to be applied for railways. This enormous sum, abstracted from the ordinary course of trade, was of itself enough to create difficulty and embarrassment; but when it was associated with the deficient harvest of the last year, and the failure of the potato crop circumstances which caused a great diminution in the demand from foreign countries for British manufactures — it would be admitted that much of the poverty thus created must add to the depression of the manufacturing interest. As far as the town of Manchester was concerned, he would inform the House that the demand for the weekly consumption of cotton had greatly decreased in the present year. The following was a comparative statement of the last three years:-In 1845 the weekly consumption was 30,000 bales; in 1846, 31,000 bales; and in 1847, 20,000 bales; being a diminution from the amount consumed in 1846 of no fewer than 11,000 bales. Besides this decrease in the consumption of cotton, he regretted to say there had been over-speculation in Calcutta. Great East India and other houses had largely speculated in corn. The result of these vast speculations in different parts of the world had been a great depression of trade, and the unexampled scarcity of money. This state of things had continued for some time, till at last such a point of difficulty was reached, that there was a panic throughout the commercial world. Money could not be found to discount unexceptionable bills; and even now it was quite certain that some time must elapse before confidence could be perfectly restored. During the period of the greatest pressure, he viewed with satisfaction the determination of the noble Lord at the head of Her Majesty's Government and the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to recommend to the Directors of the Bank of England to enlarge their discounts; and he could only assure the House of his conviction that if, at that critical period, this or some other similar course had not been adopted, a much more serious derangement of commercial interests would inevitably have followed. He, therefore, congratulated the noble Lord upon the result of his letter of the 25th October, because, through its instrumentality, the panic had been allayed, and merchants found that they could obtain money on good bills. Confidence had consequently been restored in a certain degree, and he felt reason to hope that it would continue. The alarm and confusion which had prevailed in some of the manufacturing districts might be illustrated by the fact, that, during the emergency, the manager of the Branch Bank of England at Newcastle had, with great good sense and liberality, taken upon himself to advance money to the Newcastle Bank upon VOL. XCV. Third Series securities. proper He had, however, to send to Leeds by the electric telegraph for further supplies, which were forthcoming by the express train the same day in sufficient amount to meet the demand in Newcastle. This circumstance, showing, as it did, the prevalent feeling of alarm, fully justified the noble Lord in the course he had adopted. Notwithstanding the permission given by the Government, there had happily arisen no necessity for infringing the provisions of the Bank Charter Act; confidence was now much restored, and yesterday the Bank of England had been enabled to reduce its discounts to 7 per cent; and in a short time it would, in all probability, be at perfect liberty to resume its wonted arrangements as in the ordinary course of business. The unhappy state of Ireland was alluded to in Her Majesty's most gracious Speech. It was one which must bespeak the deep attention of the House. Every hon. Member must agree with him that the atrocious crimes now prevailing in Ireland must, by some means or other, be put an end to; and he had no doubt that a thorough investigation would be made of the measures intended to be brought forward to enable Her Majesty's Ministers and the law to produce a cessation of crime. He considered that to the famine from which the people of Ireland had suffered, and to the long series of years of misgovernment they had undergone, much of the present condition of that country was owing. Remedial measures were required. He was happy to see in the Royal Speech an allusion to the measures intended to be brought forward for the improvement of the social condition of the Irish people; and that the Lord Lieutenant had been commended for the course he had pursued. The Lord Lieutenant, with great judgment, had directed the attention of the agriculturists of Ireland to the advantages of improving their crops; and he had wisely recommended them in future to instruct their workmen in the best means of improving cultivation. These recommendations had been attended with some effect; for he had reason to believe that, with regard to green crops especially, Ireland was already greatly improving her cultivation, and that further improvements would be adopted. The foreign relations of this country had been wisely administered by the noble Lord; and Her Majesty assured the House that She looked with confidence to the maintenance of peace with all fo. reign countries. The House would rejoice D "That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, to convey to Her Majesty the Thanks of this House for the gracious Speech which Her Majesty has commanded to be made to both Houses of Parliament: "That we thank Her Majesty for informing us of the causes which have induced Her Majesty to call this Parliament together at the present time: "To assure Her Majesty that we sympathise with the great concern which Her Majesty has been pleased to express for the distress which prevails among the Commercial classes : that means had been taken by Her Ma- | work, in others they had been put on jesty, in conjunction with Her Allies, to short time, and yet they had borne their restore peace in Switzerland. There were sufferings with patience and magnanimity. few countries in Europe in which peace He was sure that the working classes in and dignity were more thought of than in the manufacturing districts had gained the Switzerland; and he had no doubt that respect of the House by the conduct exthe efforts made with that view would be hibited by them during a period of great viewed with satisfaction in that country. distress. One bright light had gleamed With regard to the slave trade, the House across that distress-when, on Her return would be glad to learn that Her Majesty's from Scotland, Her Majesty had passed Government had concluded a treaty with through the manufacturing districts, and the Republic of the Equator for the sup- on that occasion the operatives, who had pression of the slave trade. The Republic shown great anxiety to see Her, received of the Equator was only a small State; Her with the greatest enthusiasm. The but that traffic having been carried on un- hon. Gentleman then concluded by proder its flag, he congratulated the House posing the following Address to Her Maupon the circumstance that this treaty jesty :would give to Her Majesty's ships the power of searching any vessels belonging to it. He felt fully assured that the House would cordially agree in the recommendation of Her Majesty; that in accordance with the same system as had heretofore met encouragement in that House, the navigation laws should come under the consideration of Parliament. The shipping interest was undoubtedly one of the important interests of this country. During the last Session there was a Committee sitting on the subject of the navigation laws, over which his right hon. Friend the Vice-President of the Board of Trade presided. It had made its report, and out of that report an amusing work had been written by the hon. Member for Stoke-onTrent (Mr. Ricardo), termed by him the Anatomy of the Navigation Laws. In reference to the announcement made by Her Majesty of the appointment of a Sanitary Commission, and in reference to Her recommendation to Parliament of measures relating to the public health, he would observe that there could be no more efficacious means of stopping the progress of that fatal epidemic the Asiatic cholera, which had on a former occasion made its appearance in this country, and had again exhibited itself in certain parts of Europe, than by attending to the drainage and sanitary condition of towns. He was sure the House deeply concurred in Her Majesty's sympathy for the sufferings of the working classes, and also in her admiration for the excellent manner in which they had borne their privations. He could speak from his own personal knowledge on this subject. In the large manufacturing district of Lancashire the working classes had been exposed to severe privations. They had in some cases been wholly out of "That we lament to hear that the embarrassments of trade have been aggravated by a general feeling of distrust and alarm; and that we thank Her Majesty for intimating to us that Her Majesty has authorised Her Ministers to recommend to the Directors of the Bank of England such a course of proceeding as might restore confidence and be suitable to the emergency : "To thank Her Majesty for the assurance of the satisfaction which Her Majesty expresses in being able to inform us that this course has been adopted without any infringement of the Law, that the alarm has subsided, and that there has been a mitigation of the pressure on the Banking and Commercial classes : "That we rejoice to learn that the late abundant harvest, with which this Country has been blessed, has had the effect of alleviating the evils inseparable from a want of employment in the manufacturing districts : "That we concur with Her Majesty in lamenting the recurrence of severe distress in Ireland, in consequence of the scarcity of the usual food of the People: "Humbly to express our concurrence in the hope which Iler Majesty entertains that the distress may be materially relieved by the exertions made to carry into effect the law passed in the |