Lords Sitting of 20 July 1848

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS.—1a Consolidated Fund; Corn Markets (Ireland); Administration of Criminal Justice; West India Islands Relief; Naval Medical Supplemental Fund Society.
2a Trustees Relief (Ireland); Wolverhampton curacy.
3a and passed: Law of Entail (Scotland): Joint Stock Companies.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. From Distillers of Haddington, against any Alteration of the Differential Duties on Foreign and Colonial Spirits.—From Birmingham, that the Provisions of the Benefit Societies Act may be extended to the "Modern Masons."—From Halton, and other Places, against the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors on the Sabbath.—From Bilston, that a Bill may he passed for the Relief of Holders of Copyhold Property.—From the Presbytery of Fordoun, against the Marriage (Scot-land), and the Registering Births, &e. (Scotland) Bills.—From Bute and Rothsay, for Facilitating the Attainment of Sites for Free Churches in Scotland.—From Manchester, in favour of the Sale of Beer Bill.

STATE OF IRELAND.
LORD STANLEY: I do not wish to press the noble Marquess now for any answer to the questions I am going to put; but, at the same time, the accounts received within the last forty-eight hours from Ireland are of so serious a character, that I am sure the noble Marquess will excuse me for feeling a deep anxiety to have from Her Majesty's Government the most authentic information as to the existing state of Ireland. It appears that, within the last day or two it has been found necessary, by the Lord Lieutenant, by and with the advice of the Privy Council, to exercise the powers vested in him by the law, and to proclaim seven districts of the
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country under the provisions of the Act passed in December last. I do not know whether those proclamations were of a more moderate or of a stronger character than ordinary; but the fact of their having been issued at such a time affords a proof of the serious apprehensions of the Government, and of their doubts as to the maintenance of tranquillity in Ireland. The questions, therefore, that I am desirous of putting are these:—In the first place, I ask the noble Marquess for any information he may have, and be able to give the House, as to the existing facts and circumstances of the case; and, secondly, whether Her Majesty's Government have taken, or intend to take, any further steps beyond the issuing of the proclamations? and further, whether they intend to apply to Parliament for any further powers beyond those which they already possess? I am quite aware that these are questions which it may be inconvenient for the noble Marquess to answer to-day. But the question of which my noble Friend (the Earl of Glengall) has given notice for to-morrow, will give the noble Marquess an opportunity of entering to-morrow into the details, if he feel unable to answer now. But I beg of him to understand that the House will expect to have from him to-morrow full information as to the state of Ireland, the intentions of Her Majesty's Government with regard to it, and the steps which they propose to pursue.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE: I do not at all complain of the noble Lord for putting the questions he has proposed, because I do not deny that the circumstances are such as to justify him in feeling anxious; but I will content myself with stating that the noble Lord is perfectly correct in his statement as to the issuing of the proclamations by the Lord Lieutenant, and that these proclamations go to the fullest extent that the noble Lord the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland can go under the provisions of the Act. I cannot say that further measures will not be necessary or he applied for; and I am not prepared to state what those measures may be. I quite concur with the noble Lord that the notice given by the noble Earl opposite (the Earl of Glengall) for to-morrow will give an opportunity for entering into the whole discussion; but I must say that any discussion or expression of opinion on the part of your Lordships will retard the pro-gross of any further measures that may be considered necessary in the present state

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of Ireland, and will embarrass the course of Her Majesty's Government.
House adjourned.