The Earl of Clancartypresented a petition from the county of Galway, signed by about 3,000 persons, in favour of the present Corn-laws, excepting as far as related to the taking of the averages. The noble Earl observed, that the petition had not been agreed to at a county meeting—one had been called, but it was so packed by the populace, that it was found impossible for the parties interested to give effect to their sentiments.
§ Earl Fitzwilliamremarked upon the statement of the noble Earl, that the 340 meeting was so packed by the people, that the landlords and farmers could not have their own way. The people of Ireland were the eaters in Ireland, and the improvement wanting was, that the lower orders there, who now lived upon potatoes, should live upon corn, and they could not do so until the price was reduced. The price could not be reduced while the Corn-laws remained unaltered. Ireland was governed by an oligarchy more, perhaps, than any other country of the world; and it was this oligarchy that was interested in the maintenance of the Corn-laws, and in getting up petitions like the present.
§ Lord Fitzgeraldobserved, that the voice of the great majority of persons interested in the Corn-laws had been stifled at the meeting by means of packing. An oligarchy was the government of a few, but it was not the few in Ireland who were interested in the maintenance of the Corn-laws, but the many—the great body of the landlords and farmers of Ireland. It had been said, that great exaggerations had prevailed upon this question, but there was no exaggeration greater than to assert that the mass of landlords and tenants in Ireland formed an oligarchy.
§ Petition was laid upon the Table.