§ Mr. O'Connellin presenting a Petition from the Weavers of King's County, Dublin, complaining of Distress, and praying that the importation of English goods into Ireland might be charged with a duty, and either to abrogate the Poor-laws in England, or introduce them into Ireland, observed, that he could not concur in the prayer of the petition. He was an advocate for free trade, and could not, therefore, ask for a tax on English goods to prevent them being imported into Ireland; nor could he, while he heard Gentlemen around him complaining so much of the Poor-laws in England, wish that they might, be introduced into Ireland. That country had miseries enough of its own without adding to them the degradation of making the whole labouring population dependent on parish overseers.
§ Petition referred to the Committee on the state of the Irish Poor.