§ MR. STAFFORDsaid, in the absence 1187 of his right hon. Friend the Secretary for Ireland, he would ask a question, of which he had given the right hon. Gentleman verbal notice. It was in reference to the gross inaccuracies which characterised the returns in reference to Irish distress that were distributed to Members that morning. In one page there was a blunder of 5l., in another of 20l., in another of 10l.; in one the blunder was as high as 2,500l, and in another page there was a sum in addition, from which appeared that 6d. and 0 made 4d. It was intolerable that to all the other difficulties connected with Irish distress there should be added this one of inaccuracy in the Government returns. He wished to ask whether the Government would lay before the House amended returns? And next, whether they would take good care that these inaccuracies should not happen again?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERasked for the papers, which Mr. Stafford handed to him. The right hon. Gentleman said, that in the book there were certain letters and statements; some were signed by the vice-guardians of the union, and some by the poor-law inspectors. But there was no document in it to which the name of the person who made it was not appended. So that if there were any errors they were not made by any officer of the Government, but by the persons who had made the communications to the officers of the Government. The hon. Gentleman said the papers furnished by the Government were inaccurate and false, and upon that assumption he wanted to know if the Government would present amended copies. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was not prepared to admit such an assumption. He was not prepared to admit that the papers were either inaccurate or false; but if there were any errors in them, which were not errors of the printer, they were mistakes of the persons furnishing the returns, and not mistakes of the Government. But it would be for the hon. Gentleman to prove first his assertion there were inaccuracies in the papers, and he should give notice of his intention to do so.
§ MR. STAFFORDshould have no difficulty in proving his assertion. And he trusted that he should find no difficulty in convincing the Chancellor of the Exchequer that sixpence and nothing do not make fourpence.
§ Subject at an end.