IRISH POOR LAW. (Hansard, 13 March 1848)

The EARL of LUCAN
said, he rose to advert to the subject of the rating of lessors under the Irish Poor Law Act. The noble Lord was understood to complain of a clause in that Act, which, he contended, operated oppressively and unjustly upon lessors. He concluded with moving for an account of the salaries of the poor-law officers in Ireland.

§ The EARL of ST. GERMANS
was of opinion that the Poor Law Act dealt as fairly by lessors as it did by any other class of persons liable to pay rates for the support of the poor.

§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE
could not see that in such circumstances as those to which the noble Earl (the Earl of Lucan) alluded, the poor-law authorities had any alternative but to act as they did. If the noble Earl, as a party rated, felt himself aggrieved, he had a right of appeal as well as a right to examine the books.

LORD STANLEY
understood that there was a practical difficulty in obtaining a remedy if a person found himself unjustly set down upon the rate-book as immediate lessor. He had, within a limited period, to find out the parties who were really liable, and to give them notice.

The MARQUESS of CLANRICARDE
observed, that if the lessors were dissatisfied, they had the power of appeal.

The EARL of LUCAN
believed that no instance had occurred in Ireland—or at least in Mayo—of a lessor having appealed.

§ EARL FITZWILLIAM
considered that the landed proprietors of Ireland should have the largest share in the administration of the poor-law in that country. He was sorry to say that during the last few years observations had been made in public and by the press—he wished he could say such remarks had never been made in either House of Parliament—which were 457 calculated to weaken the influence of the landed proprietors of Ireland, and to lower them in the estimation of their countrymen. The Government and the Legislature seemed to consider, that, having passed a poor-law for Ireland, they had done all that was necessary; but he contended, looking not to the ratepayers alone, but to the thousands who were to be the recipients of relief, that neither the Legislature nor the Executive Government had—so far as the poor-law was concerned—done their duty to the sister country. He expressed an apprehension that the distress in Ireland would be as great this year as in the last, if not greater; and he should, therefore, wish to see large national works established, and an extensive system of emigration carried out.