DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16543#0005
nttttonttittii.
VOLUME XI.-JULY TO DECEMBER, 1846.
THE ETJSSELL CABINET.—1846.
First Lord of the Treasury........... Lord John Russell,
Lord Chancellor............. Lord Cottingham.
Chancellor of the Exchequer........... Mr. C. Wood.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster......... Lord Campbell.
President of the Council............ Marquis of Lansdowne.
Lord Privy Seal............. Earl of Minto.
Home Office.............. Sir George Grey.
Foreign Office............. Viscount Palmer ston.
Colonial Office.............. Earl Grey.
Admiralty.............. Earl of Auckland.
Board of Trade.............. Earl of Clarendon.
Board of Control............. Sir John Hobhouse.
Postmaster-General............. Marquis of Clanricarde.
Paymaster-General............ Mr. Macaulay.
Woods and Forests.......,..... Viscount Morpeth.
Chief Secretary for Ireland........... Mr. Labodchere.
PAGE
POLITICAL SUMMAET.
T ORD JOHN RUSSELL, in a few days after Sir R. Peel's
*-i resignation, succeeded in forming a new Ministry, the
members of which were returned almost without opposition,
and Parliament reassembled on the 16th of July.
After some short party skirmishes, Lord John Russell
brought in a Bill for the temporary continuance of the Sugar
Duties, and the debates thereon occupied much of the remaining
Session. Many of the Liberal members of the House of Commons,
and Lords Brougham and Denman in the House of Lords,
opposed the measure on Anti-Slavery grounds; but the Bill
ultimately passed both Houses, in the Lords by 28 to 10, and
in the Commons by 265 to 135. The Government then pro-
posed to renew the Irish Arms Bill, introduced by their pre-
decessors, but met with so much opposition from both sides
of the House that the Bill was ultimately withdrawn, although
the Second Reading was carried by a majority of 33. The
distress in Ireland becoming every day more evident, Lord
John proposed a measure for the employment of the population
on public works, and as the agitators in Ireland are still in the
habit of taunting the British House of Commons with indiffer-
ence to the sufferings of the Irish people at that period, we
insert the ministerial scheme.
After referring to what had been done in the preceding year
by the late Government when advances to the amount of
£852,481 were made, Lord John Russell expressed his
sorrow at being obliged to state, that although there were at
present, in the greater part of the counties of Ireland,
harvest work and wages sufficient for the support of the
labouring population, the prospect of the potato-crop was this
year even more distressing than it was during the last. Having
corroborated this statement by private letters from Lord
Shannon, Lord Enniskillen, Lord Bernard, Colonel
Jones Smith, and other individuals in various districts of
Ireland, he proceeded to explain to the House the measures
which he intended to propose for its adoption, in order to
make provision for some employment for the labouring people
of Ireland. He proposed to introduce a Bill to this effect—
that the Lord Lieutenant should have power, on recom-
mendation made to him, to summon a barony sessions or a
county sessions for works for relief of the poor; when those
sessions should have assembled, they would be empowered and
required to order such public works as might be necessary
for the employment and relief of the people. The choice of
the works would be left to them, and they would be put into
execution by the officers of the Board of Works. Advances
would be made from the Treasury for the purposes of those
works, to be repaid in ten years at 3£ per cent, interest, the
lowest rate ever taken for works of this kind. Having des-
cribed the manner in which he intended to provide for the
repayment of these advances, he next informed the Commit-
tee how he intended to provide for the case of poor districts
where it would be impossible for the money to be repaid. He
proposed to grant £50,000 for the purposes of those districts,
where works of public utility would be undertaken by the
Government on its own responsibility. He also proposed that
commissariat officers should be stationed in different parts of
Ireland, who should from time to time communicate with Sir
R. Routh on the state of distress in the several districts. As evil
had arisen from interference by the Government with the supply
of the public food, he did not propose to interfere with the
regular mode by which Indian corn and other kinds of grain
might be brought into the country. There might, however, be
particular cases where it might be necessary to employ the
Commissariat officers. He also added, that all the offioera of
VOLUME XI.-JULY TO DECEMBER, 1846.
THE ETJSSELL CABINET.—1846.
First Lord of the Treasury........... Lord John Russell,
Lord Chancellor............. Lord Cottingham.
Chancellor of the Exchequer........... Mr. C. Wood.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster......... Lord Campbell.
President of the Council............ Marquis of Lansdowne.
Lord Privy Seal............. Earl of Minto.
Home Office.............. Sir George Grey.
Foreign Office............. Viscount Palmer ston.
Colonial Office.............. Earl Grey.
Admiralty.............. Earl of Auckland.
Board of Trade.............. Earl of Clarendon.
Board of Control............. Sir John Hobhouse.
Postmaster-General............. Marquis of Clanricarde.
Paymaster-General............ Mr. Macaulay.
Woods and Forests.......,..... Viscount Morpeth.
Chief Secretary for Ireland........... Mr. Labodchere.
PAGE
POLITICAL SUMMAET.
T ORD JOHN RUSSELL, in a few days after Sir R. Peel's
*-i resignation, succeeded in forming a new Ministry, the
members of which were returned almost without opposition,
and Parliament reassembled on the 16th of July.
After some short party skirmishes, Lord John Russell
brought in a Bill for the temporary continuance of the Sugar
Duties, and the debates thereon occupied much of the remaining
Session. Many of the Liberal members of the House of Commons,
and Lords Brougham and Denman in the House of Lords,
opposed the measure on Anti-Slavery grounds; but the Bill
ultimately passed both Houses, in the Lords by 28 to 10, and
in the Commons by 265 to 135. The Government then pro-
posed to renew the Irish Arms Bill, introduced by their pre-
decessors, but met with so much opposition from both sides
of the House that the Bill was ultimately withdrawn, although
the Second Reading was carried by a majority of 33. The
distress in Ireland becoming every day more evident, Lord
John proposed a measure for the employment of the population
on public works, and as the agitators in Ireland are still in the
habit of taunting the British House of Commons with indiffer-
ence to the sufferings of the Irish people at that period, we
insert the ministerial scheme.
After referring to what had been done in the preceding year
by the late Government when advances to the amount of
£852,481 were made, Lord John Russell expressed his
sorrow at being obliged to state, that although there were at
present, in the greater part of the counties of Ireland,
harvest work and wages sufficient for the support of the
labouring population, the prospect of the potato-crop was this
year even more distressing than it was during the last. Having
corroborated this statement by private letters from Lord
Shannon, Lord Enniskillen, Lord Bernard, Colonel
Jones Smith, and other individuals in various districts of
Ireland, he proceeded to explain to the House the measures
which he intended to propose for its adoption, in order to
make provision for some employment for the labouring people
of Ireland. He proposed to introduce a Bill to this effect—
that the Lord Lieutenant should have power, on recom-
mendation made to him, to summon a barony sessions or a
county sessions for works for relief of the poor; when those
sessions should have assembled, they would be empowered and
required to order such public works as might be necessary
for the employment and relief of the people. The choice of
the works would be left to them, and they would be put into
execution by the officers of the Board of Works. Advances
would be made from the Treasury for the purposes of those
works, to be repaid in ten years at 3£ per cent, interest, the
lowest rate ever taken for works of this kind. Having des-
cribed the manner in which he intended to provide for the
repayment of these advances, he next informed the Commit-
tee how he intended to provide for the case of poor districts
where it would be impossible for the money to be repaid. He
proposed to grant £50,000 for the purposes of those districts,
where works of public utility would be undertaken by the
Government on its own responsibility. He also proposed that
commissariat officers should be stationed in different parts of
Ireland, who should from time to time communicate with Sir
R. Routh on the state of distress in the several districts. As evil
had arisen from interference by the Government with the supply
of the public food, he did not propose to interfere with the
regular mode by which Indian corn and other kinds of grain
might be brought into the country. There might, however, be
particular cases where it might be necessary to employ the
Commissariat officers. He also added, that all the offioera of