The EARL of CLANCARTYsaid, he wished to put a question to his noble Friend (the Earl of St. Germans). It would be remembered that a Bill had been brought up on Friday last, from the other House of Parliament, to make provision for the apprehended prevalence of fever in Ireland. That Bill, by a suspension of the Standing Orders, had gone through all its stages, and had become the law of the land. It was a measure which had been conceived in a spirit of benevolence, and as such he should not have offered the slightest opposition to the speedy passing of it. He, 75 however, must remark that an addition had been made to the Bill in the Commons by the addition to the word "fever" of "and other diseases." Now the Bill was a measure of emergency to meet the fever apprehended, and so far it was right; but under the Irish Poor Law Act, the boards of guardians had full power to act in other cases. He believed the real value of the Irish Poor Law was that it was calculated to carry out the social regeneration of that country, under its administration by local boards of guardians; and he wished to know from his noble Friend whether the Government felt that there had been exhibited such an indifference, neglect, or omission of duty on the part of the boards of guardians in Ireland, as to render the Bill to which he alluded necessary, and whether there had been any communication between the boards and the Government prior to the passing of the Bill.
§ The EARL of ST. GERMANSreplied that he had no hesitation in assuring his noble Friend, that by passing the measure alluded to, there had been no intention on the part of the Government to cast any reflection whatever on the boards of guardians in Ireland. If his noble Friend would refer to the Bill, he would see it was only a temporary measure passed for one year, and that it actually increased the powers of the boards of guardians to order, in case of sickness, not only medicine but nutriment to be administered to the poor at their own dwellings. He was happy to bear his testimony to the general zeal and efficiency of the boards of guardians in Ireland.