POLISH REFUGEES. (Hansard, 3 August 1840)

§ Viscount Sandon
rose to bring under the consideration of the House the case of certain Polish Refugees who had lately come into this country, and which, he said, he was induced to do solely upon the common principles of humanity, He could not appeal to the justice of the right hon. Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the nature of the case would not allow him to do so, but he would appeal to his feelings of generosity and charity. It was not now a question whether a miserable pittance should be granted by that House for the support of those individuals who were suffering exile from their country for the sake of its independence. It had long ago been decided that the hand of charity should be extended to them with kindness and consideration. With this view, a vote had been taken in 1834 for 10,000l., at which time the number of Polish refugees on the list was 466. The following year the number was 477, and the year after, 462; thereby showing, that the assistance afforded by Parliament had not been such as to induce any influx of those unfortunate persons into this country. In the following year, took place the events of Cracow which had the effect of driving to our shores a considerable number more of Polish refugees; and in consequence of the strong recommendations which were made by men of all parties in Parliament, Parliament had been induced to increase the vote from 10,000l. to 15,000l. The number of refugees then upon the Government list, was upwards of 600. Whether by death or by departure from this country, that number had since been diminished by about 165. The prayer he had now to prefer was in behalf of 52 others who had recently arrived, and whom he hoped the 1222 Chancellor of the Exchequer would not allow to starve in our streets, but suffer them to become participators in the liberality of Parliament. He did not ask the right hon. Gentleman to increase the vote in the slightest degree. He merely asked him to consider the case of those fifty-two individuals who were only as one to three compared with the diminution that had taken place, and to extend to them, if he should find it possible, the benefit of the vote he was about to take. He asked for no additional vote, or for anything that might induce others to come here. He only required that where three claimants had, been got rid of one might be added. The sum allowed by this country was not superior to that of other countries, and held out no particular inducement to those unfortunate refugees. There was a general impression, that all Polish refugees were under the protection of Parliament, and receiving Parliamentary assistance. The sources of private benevolence being thus dried up, it was in vain to expect, that the means of subsistence could be obtained for those on whose behalf he pleaded, otherwise than through the Government. It was scarcely necessary for him to tell the House, that those persons had been driven from their country by political persecution, that they had not the means of returning to the places from whence they came, and that, not speaking the English language, they could not of themselves make out a livelihood in this country. He felt, that to refuse the prayer of these fifty sufferers in the cause of national independence, and to allow them to perish at our doors, merely for the sake of not infringing the rule, which prohibited persons who arrived in this country after a certain period from being put upon the list, would be a disgrace to a country which had a character for generosity to maintain.

§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer
said, the House would recollect that it had, in the first instance, voted 7,000l. for this purpose, and that it had been stated by those who asked for the vote, that it was for one year only, and that no further application would be made. When that year expired, the House again gave way. Then an application was made to extend the vote for a certain number of years, and his noble Friend, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, had stipulated that it | should only include those persons who 1223 were then in this country, otherwise it would hold out an inducement to other individuals to come. His noble Friend and the House again gave way. Then the Cracow affair occurred, and, the case being pressed upon Ministers and the House, they gave v. ay a third time. They had first granted the vote for a year, then made it a permanent vote, and then gave way in the Cracow case. Now, the House was asked to give way a fourth or fifth time, and unless a line were drawn, he did not see where it would end. At this moment they were, in fact, paying new claimants, the families of the original refugees. If cases of distress occurred, means would be found to relieve them. He believed that these public votes did, in fact, stop private benevolence. He could not, however, agree with the noble Lord in considering the sum which had been granted a "miserable pittance," or that this country had acted ungenerously in the matter; already 70,000l. or 80,000l. had been voted. However disagreeable it might be to appear obstinate, he was bound to give a denial to the noble Lord.

§ Sir F. Burdett
felt great interest for these unfortunate individuals, who, notwithstanding their heroic exertions, and that their character and conduct were untarnished, had nothing to subsist upon but the miserable pittance granted by the House of Commons. He thought it would be discreditable to the House if it refused a relief which would not increase the burthens of the country. He understood that there were only about fifty persons who sought relief, and a great number of old claims had been obliterated. He flattered himself that the House, considering the feeling it generally showed in these cases, and that the Administration also, would think it discreditable to the country to reject a claim for so trifling an additional relief for persons who had not disgraced themselves—persons of the most virtuous character, who had sacrificed their all in the hope of defending their country, the independence of which had been guaranteed by the other powers of Europe. He should hope that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would, after a little reflection, feel no difficulty in conceding the relief desired towards a few persons who had such strong claims upon the liberality and the charity of the House.

§ Mr. R. Gordon
considered that the 1224 giving of 78.000l. to the Poles in a few years could hardly be considered a "miserable pittance." If additions were constantly to be made to the list, he did not know where they were to stop, and he trusted, therefore, the House would not express so strong an opinion upon the matter as had been expressed by the noble Lord.