Lords Sitting of 29 April 1822

SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS IN IRELAND.
The Earl of Darnleyexpressed his surprise that no proposition had yet been submitted to the House respecting the state of Ireland. He did not now mean to enter into any discussion on the moral or political state of that country, but he thought himself bound to notice the great distress which, according to the best information, prevailed throughout Ireland. The noble earl opposite must be aware that there was an increasing distress in that country from the actual want of provisions. His object in mentioning this lamentable state of things was, to learn from the noble earl whether the attention of government had been called to the distress prevailing in Ireland, and whether any measures of relief had been adopted.
The Earl of Liverpoolsaid, he had no hesitation in stating, that government had received information that distress for the want of provisions was great in some parts of Ireland. The subject, however, had not been overlooked by government, and measures, conformable to precedents established on former occasions and found sufficient, had been resorted to. With regard to the general question of relief in such cases, he must say, that nothing, except in extreme cases, could be more improper than the interference of government with the subsistence of the country. Such interference was far more likely to cause famine, than to give relief in times of difficulty. What ought to be done by the government with respect to the whole country might be illustrated by the reply made to a foreigner who expressed his surprise that so great a city as London should be so well supplied without any regulations. He was answered, that the reason of its being so well supplied, was precisely because there were no regulations for that purpose. The course to be followed in the present case was the same which had been adopted on former occasions. He appealed to the noble peers who had lately returned from Ireland, whether they were not satisfied, that whatever could be done to relieve the present distress, would be done, and was doing?