THE EARL OF CARNARVONI wish, my Lords, to ask the noble Earl opposite (Earl Russell) a question which some may think, perhaps, not very important in itself, but which is certainly important as showing the spirit by which Her Majesty's 189 Government is actuated in dealing with the present calamity. I noticed in the papers of this morning a report of the proceedings in Convocation; and though your Lordships may, perhaps, think that an odd place whence to gain any information respecting the cattle plague, I wish to ask the noble Earl a question bearing upon a statement made by the most rev. Primate. The most rev. Primate was stated to have said that he had had a correspondence with the Secretary of State for the Home Department respecting the appointment of a day of fasting and humiliation in consequence of the pestilence upon our cattle; and that the right hon. Gentleman had declined to accede to the request, among other reasons on this ground—and I will quote the most rev. Primate's words as reported—
Her Majesty's Government do not think it expedient to appoint a day, because national fasts are only observed in event of calamities affecting the whole of the nation, whereas the cattle plague is as yet only partial.Now, my Lords, I have no intention of going into the question of the expediency or inexpediency of appointing a day of national fasting and humiliation; but if Her Majesty's Government are influenced by the reason assigned by the right hon. Baronet for refusing the proposal, I cannot help saying that I regard it as one of the most extraordinary reasons I ever heard of. Such an idea would indeed go very far to justify the belief, which is very prevalent at the present moment, that Her Majesty's Government are in a great measure indifferent to the class upon whom this great calamity has fallen, and that if any other branch of the community had been similarly affected they would have acted with more vigour. There is, I know, a class of doctrinaire philosophers in this country who believe that if every head of cattle in this kingdom were swept away the laws of trade ought not to be disturbed, and that everything ought to be allowed to find its level: but this I am sure is not only not the general feeling of the country, but is generally repugnant to the common sense of the community. The cattle plague is a calamity affecting not merely the agricultural classes—not only those who live on the land and by the land—but it affects every class throughout the country. Indeed, if it continues much longer unchecked, I doubt very much whether Her Majesty's Government will not feel its effects in every department of the revenue and the Excise. Meat, milk, cheese— 190 articles of prime necessity—may possibly rise to famine prices, and the other concerns of ordinary life may become so affected that Her Majesty's Government and the Chancellor of the Exchequer may not improbably be among the first to realize the wide-spread nature of the calamity. I wish, therefore, to ask the noble Earl, Whether the reason assigned in the newspaper reports, as one of the reasons for which the proposal of the most rev. Primate was rejected by the Secretary of State, is correctly attributed to the right hon. Gentleman? If, indeed, Her Majesty's Government needed a reason for the view which they seem to have adopted, I could suggest at least a truer and a more intelligible one; for I could understand their declining to appoint a day of fasting and humiliation on the ground that the cattle plague was likely to bring us fasting enough, and that we have already ample humiliation in the position which Her Majesty's Government have occupied during the last three months.
§ EARL RUSSELLsaid, that he intended to lay upon the table of the House so much of the letter of the most rev. Primate, and of the reply of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, as referred to the subject of the cattle plague. The noble Earl would then see that one of the reasons given by his right hon. Friend for declining the proposal was, that there was already in use a prayer sanctioned by the most rev. Primate by which the nation humbled itself before Almighty God, and prayed for the Divine protection in consequence of the cattle plague. He thought the noble Earl would have done well to have waited for the production of the correspondence before indulging in such an invective against Her Majesty's Government.
THE BISHOP OF LINCOLNcould not help expressing his regret that the Government should have refused the request of the most rev. Primate. He could assure their Lordships that in the district with which he was connected, and which had suffered, and was still Buffering, severely from the cattle plague, the appointment of a national fast would be viewed with great satisfaction. It was true that the form of prayer to which the noble Earl referred was used in the churches each week, but a large proportion of the population felt that a day of national supplication and humiliation was needed. As it was, they were now taking the matter into their own 191 hands, and in many instances parishioners had requested their clergymen to assemble their congregation for the purpose of intercession.