of grain. To this assertion he was under the necessity of giving a direct contradiction, the right hon. gentleman had given no such advice, nor had he expressed any opinion that the state of Ireland with regard to grain was such as to require the suspension of the distilleries. On the contrary, the right hon. gentleman had declared that he was rather inclined to think that there was no real scarcity, and contented himself with merely calling for some returns. The right hon. gentleman had, indeed, expressed some apprehensions upon the subject, and had called for those returns in order to see whether his apprehensions were well or ill-founded. He was therefore very naturally astonished to hear the right hon. gentleman now state, that he had a month ago informed the House of the scarcity of grain in Ireland, and had recommended the measure which he now proposed. He would appeal to every gentleman who was present in the House, on the former discussion, he would appeal to the right hon. gentleman's own friends who sat around him, whether that was a correct representation of what passed upon that occasion, and he would ask further, whether not only the right hon. gentleman but all the gentlemen on the other side of the House, with one single exception, had not expressly concurred in the statement which he (Mr. Pole) then made, viz. that though there was considerable pressure felt in many parts of Ireland on account of the high price of provisions, it arose not from an actual scarcity, but from the interruption which had taken place in the intercourse between different parts of the kingdom? Was then the right hon. gentleman justified in coming down to the House and preferring such heavy charges against the Irish government, and in censuring him (Mr. Pole) for not paying proper attention to a statement which was never made, and for not complying with advice which was never given. It might be supposed from the manner in which the right hon. gentleman had introduced this subject, that he really believed that the Irish government had taken no pains to ascer tain the actual state of provisions in Ireland, and that they had totally neglected that most important part of their duty; it was impossible to conceive a charge more completely destitute of foundation. The government of Ireland had directed its attention to this subject with the most anxious solicitude. That government did

not, indeed, think it necessary when the first alarm was felt respecting the high price of provisions (arising from the cause which he had stated) to take in the first instance, a measure so injurious to the commercial interest of Ireland, and one which would give such a blow to the revenue as to stop the distilleries, but wheu it was found to be necessary, the Irish government did not lose a moment in resolving upon the measure, and he came down yesterday to give notice of his intention to move for a Bill to stop the distilleries. The right hon. gentleman might suppose that he had given that notice in consequence of the previous one given by the right hon. gentleman, but that was not the fact; for he had sent notice to Ireland last Saturday of his intention to move for the Bill precisely on the very day on which the right hon. gentleman, who had just come from Ireland prepared with full information upon the subject, thought it right to propose the measure. Was it then fair or candid, he asked again, for the right honourable gentleman to come down to that House and accuse the Irish government of inattention to one of the most important parts of their duty ? When this subject was before under the consideration of the House, he communicated all information of which the Irish government was in possession, that information was corroborated by all the Irish gentlemen in the House, who also approv ed of the conduct of the Irish government in not stopping the distilleries, with the exception, as he had before stated, of one single gentleman. It was at that time agreed on all sides of the House, that the high prices of provisions in Ireland arose not from any real scarcity, but from the great market which had been opened for the grain and spirits of Ireland. He did hope at that time, that the measures which were adopted would have the effect of lowering the prices, or at least of preventing them from rising; in that hope he was disappointed, and it therefore became necessary to have recourse to the strong measure of stopping the distilleries. Mr. Pole then entered into a comparative view of the difference of prices in 1801, a year of considerable scarcity, and 1812; and admited that they were, generally speaking, higher at the latter period: but he begged to remind the House that the price of every article had increased since 1801, and therefore it was not to be inferred that because grain or potatoes were dearer now

than they were in 1801 that therefore there was an actual scarcity, because there had been a considerable change in the value of money since that time. It was also to be recollected, that the price of labour had encreased above one half since 1801; and he could not but hope, that the present high prices of provisions would induce the gentry and farmers in Ireland still further to increase the wages of their labourers, which certainly were inadequate, so that some good might come out of this evil. Mr. Pole then adverted to the assertion of the right hon. gentleman, that there was an actual scarcity in Ireland; and contended, that it was very greatly over-stated. With respect to Dublin, where a very considerable pressure was felt, he begged to inform the House, that very considerable supplies had recently reached that city coastwise, (to prove which, he read a letter from Mr. Middleton the clerk of the market) and he was happy to add that those supplies were progressively increasing. With respect to the county of Cork, a part of Ireland where the greatest apprehensions were entertained, it appeared from a report most admirably drawn up, that those apprehensions are unfounded. The right hon. gentleman had stated in the county of Clare potatoes had risen above the average price, it was true that the price of potatoes had risen, but he could state upon the most indisputable information, that there was not the smallest ground for apprehending a scarcity either of grain or of potatoes in that county. Mr. Pole then read a letter from Mr. Hamilton, agent to the duke of Leinster, a gentleman of the greatest respectability, and whose means of obtaining information were most extensive. He was not, he confessed, authorised to make use of that gentleman's name, but he had too high an opinion of his character to suppose that he would put his name to any statement which he would be unwilling to avow. That gentleman stated, that in the county of Kildare (which the right hon. gentleman represented to be in a state of famine) there were plenty of potatoes, that grain was dear, but that oats had on the last market day fallen seven shillings a barrel. Mr. Pole then read a letter from Limerick, dated the 14th November, which stated, that there were abundance of potatoes, and that orders had been received and were about to be executed for several thousand barrels of oats for Scotland, Spain, and Portugal, and yet Limerick was one of the

counties in which the right hon. gentleman said there was a scarcity. In the King's County there were great quantities of wheat and oats. He should like to ask his honourable colleague (Mr. Parnell) whether he agreed with the right hon. gentleman respecting the scarcity which he stat ed to exist in the King's County; he was sure he could not. In Kilkenny, oats had fallen at the three last market days; and a committee which had been appointed to examine into the state of provisions in that county, had reported that there was no ground for apprehending a scarcity. In addition to all this, he begged to state, that he had received a letter from one of the governors of that most extensive and excellent charity, the House of Industry in Dublin. The consumption of provisions in the House of Industry might naturally be supposed to be very great, when it was known, that upon an average 3,000 persons were daily fed in it. The gentleman to whom he alluded had lately been upon a tour into different parts of Ireland with a view of purchasing provisions for the use of the charity of which he was a governor; and it was his decided opinion, founded upon observations which he had carefully made during the course of that tour, that there was no real ground for apprehending that there was an actual scarcity of provisions in Ireland. The fact was, that the crops in Ireland were far from being deficient, and if her export trade had not encreased to such an extent, there would not have existed the smallest alarm about scarcity; nor would it have been necessary to stop the distilleries. He appealed to the House, whether with all this various mass of information before them, the Irish government would not have been culpable, if it had upon the first appearance of a great increase in the price of grain, immediately had recourse to the strong measure of stopping the distilleries, and thereby injuring both the trade and the revenue of the country, without taking pains to ascertain whether there were or were not real grounds for alarm. The Irish government would have very ill discharged its duty, if it had acted from information derived from one or two quarters, or if it had given way to the clamours of a mob. The government was bound to obtain information from every quarter; to investigate, to analyze and compare the whole; and to form its determination upon the general result. Such was the conduct which the

time the distillers wonld be able to work off the grain that was in a state of preparation, and to allow them a fortnight to work off their worts and wash.-He wished before he sat down to notice another inaccuracy in the statement of the right hon. gentleman, who had said, that 50,000 barrels of grain were used weekly in the distilleries; the actual consumption did not exceed 35,000 barrels a week. He wished also to take this opportunity of doing justice to the Irish distillers, who had uniformly conducted themselves in the most exemplary manner, ever since his attention had been directed from his official situation to their proceedings, and he should have acted most unjustly towards them, if, to gain a little popularity, he had put an immediate stop to the distilleries. He never would propose a measure that appeared to him to be unjust and oppressive, to gratify public clamour, or to acquire popularity for himself. He should conclude what he had to say, by asking the right hon. gentleman, why, if he thought three weeks ago that this measure was necessary to preserve Ireland from a famine, he had not come over, and stated his opinion to the House; or at least, why he had not written over to some of his friends upon the subject? But he supposed the right hon. gentleman had some duty to perform, which he considered paramount to that of attending to the distresses of the people of Ireland. Mr. Pole concluded with moving, as an amendment to the right hon. gentleman's motion, to leave out all the words after the word" that," and to insert these words: "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to revive and continue, for a time to be limited, so much of the Act of the 49th of the King, for the prohibition of the distillation from grain, as referred to that part of the United Kingdom called Ireland.”

Mr. Ponsonby did not think it would be safe to allow so long a period for the distillers to work off that part of their stock which was on hand, and which could not be applied to human food. No longer time should be allowed than was actually necessary for the passing of the measure. From the information he had received from undoubted authority, the state of the country was most alarming. This was a fact which could not be disguised; and those who had informed the right hon. gentleman that the contrary was the case, were induced so to do, merely from interested motives, and with the intention of deluding and misleading him.

Sir J. Newport said, the delay proposed by the right hon. gentleman would only tend to keep out of the market that grain which was absolutely necessary for immediate consumption. Any such delay, therefore, was strongly to be deprecated.

Mr. Shaw observed, that it was utterly impossible for the distillers to work off their stock on hand in a less time than that proposed by the right hon. gentleman. They could not take any improper advantage, or make any new purchases by such an arrangement.

Mr. Stewart declared his approbation of the amendment, and conceived that no more time was proposed to be allowed to the distillers than was actually necessary to work off their present stock.

Mr. Parnell felt considerable doubt, whether, even supposing there was a scarcity, the stoppage of the distilleries would have any good effect.

Mr. O'Dell said, he had just arrived from Limerick, and that there was no scarcity dreaded in that part of the country, as potatoes never were more cheap or more abundant.

Mr. Hutchinson agreed that every measure ought to be taken to prevent the consumption of grain, and for the support of the population of the country; at the same time, the House ought to be cautious how they injured so respectable a class of people as the distillers of Ireland, more than was necessary. A clause could easily be introduced, to allow them to make use of such grain as was in their possession, and so prepared as not to be fit for any other use.

The original motion was then put and negatived. The amendment was carried, and leave given to bring in the Bill. Mr. W. Pole then brought up the Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to morrow.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Wednesday, April 22.

The Gallery was not opened for the admission of strangers until six o'clock, in consequence of the enforcement of the Call of the House, which occupied two hours. Defaulters were ordered to be called over to-morrow; also, that the House be called over again on this day sevennight.

PETITIONS FROM THE SHIP Owners of LONDON, AND FROM BRISTOL, WATERFORD,