§ MR. S. CRAWFORDbegged to ask the noble Lord at the head of the Government, whether it were the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce any Bill this Session for the permanent or temporary protection of the interests of tenants in Ireland; and if not this Session, whether he could state the intentions of the Government as to the proposing of any such Bill next Session? and also to ask, 283 whether any or which of the Irish Bills now remaining on the Orders of the House would be proceeded with? In 1843 he had introduced a Bill for providing compensation to tenants in Ireland, but he had withdrawn it at the instance of the then head of the Government. A Commission was subsequently issued, which, however, did not report until February, 1845. At the close of the Session of 1845, a Bill was introduced into the other House which never reached the Commons; but in the present Session a measure of a similar kind had been brought in by the noble Secretary for Ireland. The people of Ireland had thus been kept waiting for three years, and he (Mr. S. Crawford) was anxious that they should not be disappointed. He trusted, therefore, that the noble Lord the First Lord of the Treasury would speedily introduce this measure. To avoid any delusion upon the subject, he begged to say, that no Bill could satisfy that did not provide for existing interests as well as for the interests of tenants in future. He was also desirous of being informed whether the noble Lord would not sanction a measure for the protection of ejected tenants; if not permanent it might be temporary; and, by a return on the Table, it appeared that on an average of three years the number of heads of families served with notices of ejectment was 30,460, affecting perhaps 150,000 souls.
LORD J. RUSSELLI thank the hon. Gentleman for putting these questions, and enabling us to state the intentions of the Government. The Government have very seriously considered the important question of the relation of landlord and tenant in Ireland; and no one is better aware than the hon. Member both of the importance and the difficulty of the question, because he has not only brought it forward for the consideration of this House more than once, but he has found that the first proposals he made required considerable alteration and modification. The late Government likewise turned their attention to the subject; and they introduced a Bill last Session, which I believe it was the opinion of the House of Lords could not be beneficially passed into a law; and they likewise introduced a Bill in the present Session, which was put aside by the dissolution of that Government. We have given serious consideration to that Bill, but we have found that there are so many objectionable points in it, that we could not bring it forward with a view to pass it into 284 a law; and, viewing the great difficulty of the subject, we have come to the opinion that we ought not to introduce a permanent measure this Session. The next question was, whether it would be advisable to introduce a temporary measure? Now it seems to me that if we were to do that, in order to provide against ejectment for a certain time, we should really, though not apparently, be precluding Parliament from coming to a deliberate consideration of the whole subject hereafter; for we should find that those temporary provisions would interfere with the legislation that might be hereafter thought advisable, and would give certain rights which it would be almost impossible afterwards to take away. We therefore intend to take the whole subject into consideration, with the view of introducing a Bill in the course of next Session, or rather, I should say at its very commencement. I may say that while we are fully aware that it is quite impossible to introduce any Bill upon this difficult subject which shall not be liable to very great objections, it will be our endeavour to introduce a Bill which shall be liable to the fewest exceptions possible. With regard to the other questions which have been adverted to by the hon. Gentleman, I think the answer will be best given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Ireland; and I believe he will state the course we intend to pursue. I beg to assure the hon. Member that the subject to which I have referred, and to which he has given so much praiseworthy attention and labour—a subject that deeply concerns the welfare of Ireland—shall have our best consideration.
§ MR. LABOUCHERE, understanding that the hon. Member wished to know what were the Irish Bills at present on the Paper which the Government intended to proceed with in the course of the present Session, begged to state that they were these: the Exclusive Privilege of Trading Bill, the Rateable Property Bill, the Ejectments Bill, the Fisheries Bill, the District Lunatic Asylums Bill, and the Baths and Washhouses Bill lately introduced. There were also several continuance Bills which it would be his duty forthwith to bring in. As to the Leases Bill, he was not able at present to announce a positive determination whether the Government would be able to go on with it this Session. There were various objections to it; but he would state on Wednesday what determination was come to respecting it. It was the intention of the Chancellor of 285 the Exchequer to introduce, in the course of this Session, a Bill for the purpose of strengthening and reconstructing the Board of Works in Ireland. It was with the utmost reluctance that, upon mature consideration, the Government had given up the intention they at one time entertained of proposing several Bills of consequence to Ireland in the present Session; it was not till after grave reflection they gave up that intention, because they thought they could not promote the object they had in view by bringing in such Bills at this time; and he trusted that the House, and Gentlemen connected with Ireland, would not argue from that circumstance that the Government would forego their purpose, or retire from the intentions they had expressed. Early next Session they would propose to the House such measures as they believed would have the effect of improving the condition of the people of Ireland.