§ On the Order of the Day for going into Committee on the Labouring Poor (Ireland) Bill having been read,
MR. H. J. BAILLIEsaid, he had to ask leave of the House to say a few words as to the remarks of the noble Lord the Member for Lynn on what had fallen from him on a former occasion. He was represented by the noble Lord the Member for Lynn to have stated, that as a Scotch representative he would not vote public money for the relief of Irish distress; and the noble Lord said, that on the part of Scotland he repudiated such language. He also repudiated it as strongly as any one in that House could; but when he objected to vote 16,000,000l. for the purpose of making railways in Ireland, he stated, at the same time, that it was his wish to improve the condition of Ireland, and to give every facility to the landlords of Ireland to improve their estates, and improve the condition of the people by making them accustomed to better food. But the noble Lord was not satisfied with misrepresenting him. The noble Lord thought it worth his while to tell the House, he (Mr. Baillie) was not a Scotchman. He knew not if the noble Lord's railway information were better founded than that statement; but he hoped it was, or it would be very inaccurate. Whether it were an honour to be a Scotchman or not, was a matter of opinion; but he could tell the noble Lord that his 251 family owned the property that now belonged to him in Scotland, long before the family of the noble Lord owned an acre of land in England. He had only to assure the representatives of Ireland, that he was ready to give his support, not only to the measure before them that evening, but to any measure Government might bring forward, whether for public loans or grants of money, which he might think calculated to relieve the distress which prevailed to such a fearful extent in Ireland.