The

the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary
for Ireland a question with reference to
some Bills relating to that country. The
noble Lord had stated what course it was
the intention of the Government to pursue
with reference to those three Bills which
related to the law of landlord and tenant
in Ireland, and he had further stated that
the right hon. Gentleman would be ready
to give an explanation as to other Bills re-
lating to Ireland. There was one Bill
with respect to which, notwithstanding the
lateness of the Session, it was, he thought,
of some importance that the right hon.
Gentleman should state the intentions of
the Government-that was the Valuation
of Rateable Property (Ireland) Bill.
right hon. Gentleman was, he believed,
aware that a Bill upon that subject had
passed through the House of Commons
last year, and was thrown out in the
House of Lords. During the time that he
held office, he had endeavoured to recon-
cile those difficulties that had led to its re-
jection; and he believed that his efforts
had been successful. He had every reason
to believe that if the Bill which he had
prepared were pressed forward by the pre-
sent Government, it would become the law
of the. land without any of the difficulties
to which he had adverted intervening. He
might add, that great convenience would
result to the country if that Bill were pass-
ed. He should be glad, then, to know
whether it were the intention of the right
hon. Gentleman to proceed with that Bill.

cial grievances of Ireland were the most pressing evil that the Legislature had to deal with; and that, although the Irish Church question was one which no English statesman could lose sight of, and with which, eventually, any Government in power must be prepared to deal, he thought that other questions stood first as claiming the attention of the Government. Having twice brought this question of the Irish Church before the House, and been twice defeated upon it, every Irish Member in the House was aware that it was not his intention to bring it forward again in the course of the present Session; but whenever it came before the House again, his hon. Friend (Mr. Wakley) would find that he had not changed upon the question. MR. HORSMAN said, that there had been several speeches criticizing the constitution of the Government, and censuring the character of the noble Lord. He could not reconcile those remarks with his sense of justice. In his opinion, when the noble Lord, in reply to the hon. Member for Finsbury, said he had no new principles to profess, and when he referred the House to his previous career, he gave the answer most becoming to himself, which conduced most to the honour of the House, which was most intelligible to them, and gave the most security to the country. The noble Lord had shown no anxiety to obtain office; and the circumstances under which he took office eminently entitled him to the considerate indulgence of the House. The hon. Member for Malton had criticized MR. LABOUCHERE was much obliged severely the constitution of the Govern- to the noble Lord for giving him an opporment; but he could not agree with that tunity of explaining the intentions of Her hon. Member. In the first place, it was a Majesty's Government with respect to a Government in accordance with the prin- Bill which was one of great importance, ciples which he professed; in the second, and one which he was aware the noble he had the most perfect confidence in the Lord had given his best attention to in noble Lord at the head of the Government; drawing up, which, therefore, ought not to and thirdly, the construction of the Ca- be dropped without bringing it before the binet, as regarded its subordinate offices, House. He was happy, then, to assure was so judicious as to give the fullest con- the noble Lord that it was the intention of fidence in the whole Administration. He Her Majesty's Government to proceed with believed it was the opinion of ths people of that Bill, which was a most useful and imEngland, who were a just and generous portant Bill. There were many other subpeople, that if the Government was to bejects of legislation relating to Ireland, with conducted on the principles of the noble Lord, it was fit and proper that it should be entrusted to his hands, and he had no doubt that that Government would be so conducted as to lead to the most useful results.

regard to which he might take that opportunity of stating the intentions of the Government-he referred to the Bills which had been introduced by the noble Lord. First, there was the Ejectment and Distress Bill: they intended to proceed with that; aad next with the Leases (Ireland) Bill. They would, however, introduce The EARL of LINCOLN wished to ask some modifications into that Bill. Next

MEASURES FOR IRELAND.

that the House resolve itself into Com- the remedies that ought to be applied to mittee pro formá, in order that the clauses the existing defects in the law, the subject, might be revised, and the Bill put into the he had no doubt, would receive patient atstate which the Government proposed, he tention and dispassionate consideration on felt that there were strong grounds for the part of the House. Though opinions adopting that course, especially as altera- might differ as to the remedy to be applied tions would be necessary, even with respect to the defects in the law, there was agreeto those clauses the substance of which they ment, however, upon one point-namely, proposed to retain. He had, therefore, no that modification of the existing law of objection to consent to that course. He settlement and removal was indispensahad abstained from making any observa- ble. It was hardly necessary he should tions with regard to what had been stated now advert to the various proposals which by the hon. Member for Malton, not from had been made and rejected or withany want of respect either for the hon. drawn. It might be right, however, to Member or the House, but because he had advert to the existing state of the law. felt it desirable that this subject of all At present, a man who had acquired a others should be considered separately and settlement in early life in a parish in apart from those miscellaneous and ex- England, and who, either attracted by citing topics which, within the last two the demand for labour, or from any other hours had engaged the attention of the cause, migrated to a distant parish, might House. He knew that the opportunity exercise his industry and calling for many would be afforded him of fully stating the years in the parish in which he laboured, views of the Government on the subject; without obtaining a settlement in that and, feeling the importance and complexity parish; and here he might call to mind of the subject, he had wished to keep it that the facilities which formerly existed distinct from any of those other topics for obtaining settlement by hire and serwhich were brought under discussion on vice no longer existed. The number in the Motion that the Order of the Day be consequence had been very materially inread. He had stated he felt the difficulty creased of persons, who, though they had, and complexity of the subject; and he in the prime of their life, by the exercise of must confess that not only was it of an their honest industry promoted the prospeinvolved and complex nature, but that the rity of a town, had failed to obtain a settlevery suggestions made for the alteration of ment in that town, and who if, from any the law on the subject, and the various un- misfortune, such as sickness or infirmity, successful and conflicting attempts which they became chargeable as, and fit subhad been made within the last few years to jects for relief under the Poor Law, had to amend the law, rather added to the diffi- look, not to the place in which they had culty of dealing with it, than cleared the been long established, but to that from ground of former difficulties, and left it open which they had originally migrated. for any simple remedy that could be ap- lief might be given, certainly, in parishes plied to the law of settlement. Those where a settlement had not been obtained attempts had all been made in a spirit of in the case of the casual poor; but in kindness and regard for the interests and other cases relief was given accompanied welfare of that large portion of the com- by an order for removal to the parish munity to whom the Bill especially related. where the settlement was found to exist. The right hon. Gentleman who had pre- The consequences of that system had been ceded him in the office which he had now forcibly stated by the late First Lord of the honour to hold, in introducing the Bill the Treasury, in his speech in the early in the year 1845, had stated that one-tenth part of the Session, when he announced of the population received relief, and that the commercial policy he proposed to subthe most anxious attention and delibera-mit to the House, and in which he had tion ought to be bestowed by the House upon a subject in which the feelings and interests of so large a portion of their fellow subjects were so deeply concerned. He felt the vast importance of the subject, and how much it concerned a class of the community for which the House ought to have an especial regard; and whatever differences of opinion there might be as to

Re

adverted to the series of measures with which he proposed to accompany that policy. The right hon. Gentleman had stated, in strong terms, the inconveniences and hardships resulting from the existing state of the law, and described the migration which took place from the agricultural to the manufacturing districts, at times of manufacturing prosperity-that

families became established in their new | circumstances, to consider well what were place of abode, habits underwent a change, the steps they should take in reference to old connexions were broken up, and new this measure; and accordingly, upon the associations formed, and a large term of fullest consideration which they could give their life was spent in the manufacturing the subject, looking at the difficulties with districts, much of the prosperity of which which the law of settlement was besetwas to be ascribed to the industry, the looking at the difficulties which surskill, and energy of those people. But rounded the subject of union settlements then came the reverse of the picture. A and considering also the late period of period of manufacturing depression arrived; there might be a period of sickness or state of life which rendered a man less fit for his occupation, or he might have the misfortune to be thrown out of employment, and thus become chargeable upon the fund applicable to the relief of the poor; and the consequence was, an order for removal was applied for, for no other course was open to those who had the administration of the fund but to remove the party to the parish where he had a settlement, after many years had elapsed since he had left, and he had become incompetent to perform the labour by which alone he could maintain himself in the parish to which he was removed. That was a state of things which the right hon. Gentleman had justly stated was shocking to the feelings of every just and humane man, and for which the late Government proposed to introduce a remedy. A Bill had been brought in for the purpose; and, as it was originally proposed, it was limited to two principal points. The first part of the Bill was that which altered the existing law, giving to those persons who had lived in a parish for a period of five years a right to relief from the parish where they had resided. It provided that, after residence for five years next preceding the application for relief, the pauper should not be liable to removal, but should be entitled to relief from the parish in which he had so resided. There were other points to which he (Sir G. Grey) should advert subsequently; but this portion of the Bill, which established the irremovability of paupers under these circumstances, was the principal. The other part of the Bill related to the trial of appeals and the form of procedure. A third part was added in Committee, in consequence of the Motion of the hon. Member for Malton, in which a principle previously abandoned in connexion with the Poor Law was again recognised and adopted by the Government, namely, that of union settlement. It had become the duty of Her Majesty's Government, under these

the Session at which the House had arrived-taking all these circumstances, therefore, into consideration, they had concluded that it would be hopeless to attempt to deal with the Bill, as a whole, in the present Session of Parliament; and feeling that it could not be adequately discussed in the few remaining weeks which they would have to sit, they felt that it would not be dealing fairly with those whose interests were the most deeply involved in the question, if they pressed it to a final settlement before the conclusion of this Session. They proposed, therefore, to abandon the portion of the Bill relating to union settlement for the present-not to abandon the principle, but to wave it for the present Session. His noble Friend had stated, that he should move for a Select Committee on the subject of settlement in the next Session of Parliament a course which would greatly facilitate the adoption of some improved measure, and render the temporary relinquishment of the principle of no injurious consequence. It had then become a question whether it would be right to take any further steps with the existing Bill, or whether it would not be better to let it stand over also until the next Session of Parliament. Upon that question, however, the Government had come to a different conclusion from that at which those hon. Gentlemen who now cheered, had arrived. They felt that, looking to the expectations that had been held out on this subject; to the announcements which were made by the right hon. Baronet, late the First Lord of the Treasury, at the commencement of this Session; and to the benefit which would be derived immediately by a very large class of the community, from the partial alteration of the law involved in the first part of the Bill-they felt it was their duty not to abandon the Bill altogether; but that they should invite the House to affirm the principle of irremovability; leaving the question of settlement, which he admitted was intimately connected with it, to be more satisfactorily dealt with next

Session. They determined to proceed with | turing towns. It was one, however, which the first part of the Bill, conferring the he believed they were not unwilling to privilege of irremovability on persons after bear. But he thought it was right to proa residence of five years. The clauses ceed cautiously, rather than excite needto which they proposed to ask the House less alarm and opposition by proposing too to agree, were the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th much. He was quite ready to admit that Clauses of the Bill as amended in Com- the effect of the measure then before the mittee. The 5th Clause enacted that "no House, was not to leave the law of settlewidow residing with her husband at the ment wholly untouched. The law of settime of his death shall be removable for tlement and the law of removal could not twelve calendar months after his death from be kept entirely asunder. The Bill before the parish in which he died." The House them, however, was a mere temporary suswould perceive that this clause applied not pension of the existing law of settlement merely to widows of persons who were in the particular cases to which it referred. themselves irremovable from their period It might be as well if he were here to of residence in a parish, but to the widows advert to the term "residence" used in the of all persons, whether removable or irre- Bill, and which he had been asked to demovable on that account. The 6th Clause fine. He felt that it was scarcely necessary provides, that " no child of any person, or that any attempt should be made to define of the wife of any person, legitimate or ille- that term-it ran through all Bills of the gitimate, under sixteen, residing with the same description, and it might be no easy father or mother, shall be removed in any matter to supply in words a definition that case where the person himself may not would give entire satisfaction; but there lawfully be removed;" and the 7th Clause, was, generally speaking, a very good prac which it was also proposed to retain, though tical definition in use in Westminster Hall, with some alteration, provided that, irre- and that would perhaps supersede the nespective of the term of residence, "persons cessity of introducing any definition into shall not be liable to be removed owing the Bill itself. With regard to the second to any accident that may disable them for part of the Bill-namely, that which ema time, and render them chargeable, with braced the trial of appeals, the execution a prospect of soon being able to regain in- of orders of removal, and the alteration in dependence by their honest industry." The the forms of procedure, the Government Bill as they intended it should stand, would were of opinion that it was not intimately enact, that if paupers fell sick, or met connected with the first part of the meawith an accident in any parish, they should sure; and, therefore, that it might be postbe relieved in that parish where the sick-poned without any difficulty. These quesness, or the accident occurred. If, how-tions were contained in a series of clauses, ever, the sickness turned out to be of which, if proposed to the House, it was a permanent nature, then it was not in- felt would lead to a long discussion; and, tended to impose a permanent burden upon perhaps, without any satisfactory results. the parish where the cause which incapa- The effect of the adoption of the first part citated the pauper for work first took place. of the Bill would be to relieve a large class In such cases the old settlement of the of persons from the operation of orders pauper would be revived. He had stated of removal, while it would, as a matter the proposition respecting the right to re- of course, make questions on forms of lief at the end of five years, and he had procedure much less frequent than they not forgotten that amongst other Notices were previously and at present. With rewhich stood upon the Paper, there was gard to the second part of the Bill, thereone for altering the five years into three. fore, the Government were prepared to Now, he was not prepared to say that, adopt the same course as it had adopted under all circumstances, three years were with respect to the law of settlement, not preferable to five-he should not namely to postpone its further considersay five years were the best possible pe-ation until both questions were in a posiriod; but, looking at the precedent which tion to be settled together and at the the Scotch Poor Law afforded, he did same time. There were two clauses of think that it afforded some sanction for the Bill on which he wished to say a few the course which they had resolved to words. The 11th Clause imposed a penadopt. Doubtless the effect of this plan alty for fraudulent removal. If the House might be to throw a heavy additional assented to the first part of the Bill, burden upon some of the great manufac- he thought that they ought not to re