Star. — London, England, 1831-04-09 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH /ND MELCOMBE REGIS. TO THE EDITOR. Si R,—ln answer to the letter of Sir Edward Sugden, hcg in the mean time to observe, first, that the references re garding the purchase of the property at Weymouth, and the •expenses of his elections, are not all paid. On the contrary, they form the subject of the suit between Mr. Gordon and myself, Mr. Gordon being liable for them under his agreement to return Sir Edward Sugden free of expense. Ihe expenses :chick Sir Edward Sugden states he has already paid, I pre sume, are included in the 2,0001. mentioned in the memoran dum in Sir Edward's hand-writing, as " 2,0001. to pay off old bills," and for which Si: Edward granted his per sonal security. By that memorandum it was stipulated that at the next elections after 1828, Sir Edward Sugden Phould pay, if returned, 1,0001. which he did on being ap pointed Solicitor-General in 1829; and at the following ge neral election, in 1830, he paid the remaining 1,0001. By the same document it was stipulated, that if Sir Edward Sugden should retire, and anoller person should be returned for Lis seat, that other person should pay the 2,0001. of old 2. The following memorandum in Mr. Gordon's handwrit- I ing was delivered to Sir E. Sugden, and remained some time , in his possession, and was afterwards returned to me; and Mr. I Gordon got it from me along with others of the documents which he still retains: " Lieut.-Col. Gordon offers to re- I turn Mr. Sugden free of expense for Weymouth, so long as he may require a seat. Mr. Sugden allowing Col. Gordon I to sell two of the three remaining seats ; he also with Lords Grnitham and Goderich, will use his best endeavours to ob taiu a peerage for Lieut.-Col. Gordon : Mr. Weyland (bus- Land of Lady Johnstone) to be excluded from the borough." I In Mr. Gordon's defence in Scotland, he admits the existence of the document, but contends it is misrepresented. It is, la.wever, sufficiently plain to speak for itself, and I call upon him, publicly to produce it. I will, however, prove its contents so far as Sir E. Sugden alludes to it, by collateral evidence. let as to Sir E. Sugden being returned freeof expense, and Mr.G. being allowed to sell the two remaining seats. This is proved by the following memorandums in Sir Edward Sug den's handwriting ; " The arrangement between Colonel Gordon and Mr. Sugden is as follows—Colonel Gordon is to buy of Messrs. Henning and Horsford their freeholds, .Ind the conveyance is to be taken in the joint names of Colonel Gordon and Mr. Sugden as purchasers, but Mr. Sugden is to hold as a trustee only for Colonel Gordon. Mr. Sugden is to be returned free from expense as long as he requires a seat, and the other seats are to be disposed of as Co!onel Gordon thinks proper. " E. B. S." " Lincoln's-Inn, December 6, 1828.—1 hereby declare 11,:-.t the purchase made in Weymouth of Messrs. Henning and Ilorsford was, although concluded in the joint names of Celonel Gordon and myself, made for him solely, and the 1,0001. was his money, and I am trustee for him, but I ant to have the benefit of my seat according to the arrange r,ent between Nlr. Fraser on the part of Colonel Gordon myself.—Edward B. Sugden." And by Sir E. Sugden's letter to me of the 28th of September, 1828, in which he says, " My dear Sir , l suppose that you had not received my last. If you see Colonel Gordon before you come to town, I should like him to state in writing what he considers the arrangement between us to be, as to the payment of the part we mentioned (not including the 5001.) of the late expenses, out of the produce of the next elections, and as to my being returned." Secondly, as to Mr. Gordon's peerage, I never stated that Lords Grantham and Goderich undertook to procure a peerage for Mr. Gordon. All I said was, that he represented, both verbally and in writing, that such was the understanding with Sir Edward Sugden. and which will be seen by the memorandum before called for. Mr. Gordon's letter to Lord Wallace, his defence to my summons, and his letters to me, of which the following are copies, are demonstrative that he was seeking a peerage. "In the Edinburgh Courant newspaper of the 25th current, I observe advertised a small Bvo vol. entitled The Political Primer, or Road to Public Honours. I don't like to commission it myself, but wish you would procure me a copy, and send it by Aber deen by the first private opportunity."—" If the steady and zealous support which my predecessors and I have always given the ministers of his Majesty's present govern ment, and the increased support which, in future, I shall have it in my power to give them, is not enough without the addition of 40,0001. to put me on a level with other candi dates for royal favour, I will remain as I am, and trust to the chapter of accidents, rather than throw so large a sum of money so unprofitably away." Thirdly, Sir Edward Sugden was Mr. Gordon's counsel in all matters relating to the Johnstone affairs, as well as others, which is proved by the accompanying list of fees paid to him in the year 1829, none of which were returned by Sir Edward Sugden. I am, Sir, yours most obediently, London, April 8. JAMES J. FRASER. FEES PAID TO SIR E. B. SUDDEN. 30th April, 1829.—Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, of Cluny, per Richard Weyland, Esq. and Lady Johnstone, 31r. Sugden's special retainer . . - £1 3 6 10th May, 1829.—Ditto, for his sister, Mrs. Dalrymple J 2 4 6 tees. . - -( 2 9 6 27th June, 1829.—Ditto againct Dalziel. retainer . - 1 3 6 I. July, 1829.—Ditto against Robly, fees . - 8 13 0 Ditto against ditto - - - 2 9 6 hilt Julr. 1829.—D0. for his sister, Mrs. Dalrymple, fee - 3 b 6 17th August, 1829.—Ditto for ditto, fee - - - 2 4 6 Ditto for ditto, fee - - - 2 9 6 J 1 28th December, 1829.—Ditto per Stair, fees - -12 9 6 Great preparations are making by the votaries of fashion for the grand fete to be given by the QuEEN. The dresses ail! exceed in splendour those worn at the late Drawing. rooms. THE KING AND THE SURGEONS OF THE NAB Y. —The Duke of Clarence, as Lord High Admiral, paid as much attention to the medical officers of the fleet as to any officer in the service. They were admitted to personal interviews whenever they had business of sufficient importance that could warrant such intrusion. I could mention many, both physicians. surgeons, and assistant-surgeons, for whom his Royal Highness showed the greatest regard, and whose in terests were c.romotud by him to the utmost of his power ; and I till venture to affirm that, whether as a Prince of the Blood Royal, as Lord High Admiral of the Seas, or as King of Great Britain, his Majesty has entertained, and ever will entertain " every kind feeling" towards the medical officers of his fleet.—Lancet. THE PRINCESS VICTOR IA.—The following will be in teresting to all persons, but especially to our readers at Tun bridge-Wells : " A controversy has arisen as to the state of health of the heiress presumptive, which makes me desirous of stating, from personal knowledge, the real fact of the case. Her Royal Highness is in perfect good hcalth, and eats, drinks, and sleeps accordingly. She is in excellent spirits, talks constantly, and is able to bear considerable ex ertion in the course of her studies, to which she pays unusual attention for her years. Of all that has been said of the de licate state of her health these is no truth beyond this—that' she has been from her infancy, and still is, peculiarly weak a l her legs ; and that a slight cold, or fatigue, not unfre plentiv disables her from walking, to which she has never been much accustomed. This circumstance has been mag nified into a diseased constitution ; but, from my own expo nonce, I can state that assumption to be altogether unfound ed.—Brighton Gazette. SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS. 'hues —Reports have lately been much circulated, with reference to a belief of an improper interference on the part of an illustrious personage on the subject of the reform bill. We know that lady to be as much diatinouished for the most amiable feelings, and fora just sense of her duties as she is by her exalted station; with such feelings,everything tending to political intrigue, or to an a ctive part la the measures of a party, is absolutely incompatible:and weare as confident /A we are of our existence, that no attempt could proceed from that quarter to disturb the mind of the Sovereign, or throw difficulties in the way of his Mi nisters. We think it necessary to 'ay thus much in justice to the ex alted personage in question, and we would guard the public against the error of supposing that the language and conduct of certain persons belonging to the Royal Household can have received the slightest en couragement from the authority by which they have been said to be approved. Hanatn.—The trials at the Old Bailey always afford a practical satire on the state of our criminal laws. In that Court, at the close of the Sessions, the solemn ceremony of passing sentence of death on a large number of convicts takes place—sometimes as many as 30 or dO pawns appear at the bar together, to receive. for crimes materially dif. fering in malignity and magnit ude, the wholesale sentence of ex termination. This would be a very awful proceeding, if it had not necessarily become a mockery. We say necessarily, because it is the inevitable result of the proven of civilisation that the laws which are so profuse of blood should be rarely carried into effect. Enlightened opinion, controlling judicial power saves huma nity many of those disgusting spectacles of human sacr ifice, for infe rior crimes, which were some years ago of frequent occurrence. If the criminal laws cannot be generally or uniformly executed, why are they nut made conformable with the advanced spirit of civilization ? if they were generally executed, every Court of Criminal Justice in the Realm, to which belongs the power of trying capital offences, would be a great abattoir, or slaughter-house, in which crowds of human vic tims would be Sri lathy immolated by a most compendious sys tem of legalised butchery. At a late Special Commission in Hamp shire no less titan 101 persons were capitally convic.ed ; but what power in the land would dare to offer tit this human hecatomb to the Moloch spirit of our criminal law P It has been been well observed that the prevention of crime is better attained by certainty than severity of pu nishment. laws which cannot be uniformly :executed are bad in principle and ineffective in practice. As long as enactments denouncing death to offer ccs inferior to those of the most dangerous and enormous magnitude disgrace our Statute-book, a large propor tion of crimes, deserving of severe punishment, but not justifying the extermination of the offenders in .he eyes of considerate and conscien tious persons, will go altogether unpunished, from the repugnance of injured parties to put human life in petil, where the sentence of the law betrays more of the character of vengeance titan the spirit of justice. It is not an uncommon practice of jurors at the present day, especially in this metropolis, to strain points of conscience in favour of hunrinity, and to contradict the evidence by their verdicts, in their enlightened ab horrence of sanguinary punishments. Pour.—The contrast presented by the County Meetings of England and Scotland which have been held on the subject of Reform, with re spect both to the composition and the determinations of those assem blies, cannot fail to have attracted the attention of the community. The county meetings of England have been generally clamorous in support of the revolutionary measure of his ltiajcaty's ministers. Those of Scot land have on the contrary firmly and manfully opposed it, pointed out with calmness and truth the manifold mischiefs which must inevitably result from its adoption, and laboured with great ability and success to open the eyes of the community and of the Legislature to the fatal precipice upon the brink of which they stand. The county and all other public meetings in England, without we be lieve a single exception, have refused to listen to any statements or ar guments uncongenial to the preconceived prejudices of the numerical majority. At the meetings in Scotland every man had a fair hearing, to whichever side of the question he inclined. This is decisive. It proves the latter to have been assemblies of men of sense, decency, and education ; and the former, under whatever names they may have been disguised, to have been principally composed of men without decency, education, or good sense. The Scotcit meetings are not controlled by the mere rabble—the English meetings are so con trolled. Nothing can be more gratifying to the anti-revolutioaists, nothing could afford them a more decisive omen of eventual niutuph than the discovery, that in every aasemblv of men that has yet been held, in which deliberation has been permitted—in every assembly not abso lutely governed by the refuse of society, who alone will degrade them selves by clamour and vociferation, their party has been unequivocally the strongest. HERALD.—It cannot have escaped observation, that the enemies of reform have, since the first ebullition of their wrath, entirely changed their ground At first they declared their uncompromising hostility to it, in whatever shape, or under whatever guise. The very word was water to their hydrophobia. But now the case is quite different—thty have quietly passed the Rubicon—and. with the exception of the Duke of iVelliegton, are unanimous in admitting that some Reform is necessary and unavoidable, anti their hostility is con. fined to the particular measure of Ministers alone. We do not, we confess, attach much value to these sudden conversions. Men who can desert their deliberate opinions so hastily are entitled to but little cre dit for their conversion, especially in a case like this, where there is too much reason to suppose, they only change their ground by way of a feint, to alter the nature of their attack. Tessa.—Papers and letters from Paris of Wednesday speak of an intended Congress at Rome to arrange the affairs of Italy. It would be good policy in Austria to concur in forwarding such a meeting. Her troops in the mean time, might overrun the Papal States, and create bu siness for the assembled Plenipotentiaries. The French could no; object to so reasonable a proposition, and could not begin hostilities against her with so near a prospect of au ultimate arrangement. The insurgent patriots would be paralyzed by a meeting at which the Plenipotentiary of France would be seen acting in concert with the Ambassador of Austria—at which the Huly Alliance would appear to shake hands with the populat sovereignty of the barricades—and at which the conservative principles of legitimacy would again revive, sprinktd with the eau benite of Papal benedictions. The news front Poland h of such a complexion as perhaps to render more necessary a Congress in the north than in the south of Europe. It is evident that the campaign must be prolonged, and It seems even probable that the Russians may be again defeated. The brave Poles seem resolved to make every sacrifice to show how they can resist or how they can die ; and having measured swords with their gigantic enemy,t hey feel confident of victory. The conqueror of the Balcan now finds a different enemy before him titan the Turks, and his troops are beginning to be disheartened by the privations, or to desert from dissatisfattion. Let the dismembered provinces of Poland again unite with the gallant portion of the nation which has lately exhibited such miracles of bravery and devotedness, and the Russian eagle may be for ever scared beyond the Dwina and Ihdeper. COURT CIRCULAR. Despatches were sent off flow the Colonial Office on Thursday evening, for Lord Aylmer, the Governor of Lower Canada. The Duke of Sussex made his personal inquiries yester day after the health of his Royal Relative, and visited the Duchess of Gloucester. The Duke of Glouceriter is recovering very fast from his indisposition. His Royal Highness passed a very good night on Thursday night, and on Sir Henry Haiford visit ing his Royal Highness, yesterday morning, he found the Royal Duke so much improved that he did not think it necessary to issue a bulletin. The verbal answer given to the inquirers yesterday t; as, that his Royal Highnes was going on very well. MASQUERADE AT THE KING'S THEATRE. Messrs. Lapotte, Lane, and Barrymore gave last night, the first of a series of Masquerades. The Theatre, which was tastefully fitted up for the occasion. was upon a much better and more extensive scale than any entertainment of the kind for some years back. There was the usual variety of characters, and the majority of them were, es usual, but indifferently supported. Some few footmen, who mocked reality almost too well, and a monkey, with his attendant group of or ganist, leader, &c. seemed to take the palm from all the rest. The boxes and gallery were tilled with spectators, who appeared considerably amused by the motley scene. The entertainment was kept up till an advanced hour of the morning. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. A new Tragedy was acted for the first time last night under the title of The Pledge, or Castilian lloni,ur, and met with complete and de served success. I termini, the Tragedy by Vtcroa Moo, excited about a year ago in Paris so much interest and attention, that the ex periment of producing it before a London audience was thought worth tlie trial. For the present translation and adaptation the theatrical public are indebted, we believe, to Mr. KRNIICT, who has done ample justice to his subject, and accomplished his task with equal judgment and ability. The plot of the piece afforded many strikingly affecting and highly dramatic situations. These situa- ' tions received adequate justice from the performers, who seemed all fully possessed with the spirit of their parts. klacattapv, WALLACE, and Course., have seldom performed better, not excepting their acting in Werner, while Miss Pain.urs was certainly never seen to greater advantage. Besides the applause which accompanied the striking points that occurred in nearly every scene, there were long-continued plaudits at the conclusion of each act; and at the final fall of the curtain and announcement of the piece for repetition, the favourable vet diet was decided and unanimous. The family of Bonaparte have leave to re-enter France. Laporte is just return) from Paris, where lie has made an arrangement with Paganini, which will occasion a visit of that eminent artist to this metropolis early in May. GREAT DUBLIN MEETING, To RRLIEVE THE DISTRESS ox THE WESTERN COASTS. On Tuesday, a great national meeting was convened at the Mansion-house, to devise the beet means of affording re lief to the distress in the county Mayo, and on the western coast of Ireland. Amongst those in attendance, were The Most Rev. Dr. Murray, ? Rev. Sir F. Lynch Blosse, Dean of Aehoory, Daniel O'Connell, . M.P. Mr. Sheriff' !Mahan, T. F. Kelly, Esq. (Seneschal), H. Co e Esq. ( Magistrate of Henry-street office), G. Howell. Esq. Hon. &load Gore, P. Dumbrayne, Major Sin. &c. &c. The Right Hon. the LORD Ms Yon took the chair; and the Rev. Mr. Su ITH being appointed secretary to the meet ing, be gave a lengthened detail of the distress. He men tioned, from the Westport committee, that there were in five parishes 5,590 families, and 31,904 individuals, dependent upon public charity for support. The reason was, the de struction of the potato crop by storms and rain, and he as sured them that the people lived on nothing else—they never tasted flesh meat except on Christmas-day, and oatmeal was too great a luxury for them : in fact, all the grain they could raise was taken to pay the landlord and the local taxmen— (Hear, hear.) Mr. Smith read several extracts describing the distress in 1817 and 1822, and assured the meeting that the present far exceeded what was witnessed at those periods. Rev. Sir F. L. BLossE proposed the first resolution. —" That it appears to this meeting that the accounts from the western coasts of the country, of distress from famine, are of a very alarming character, and that it is their bounden duty to endeavour, as much as possible, to avert a repetition of the awful calamity which occurred in 1822 He said he did not think that the 50,0001. proposed to be given by government, would be sufficient to relieve the pre sent appalling distress. (Hear.) He trusted that the name of every landlord who did not contribute would be published to the world. !le stated that he was himself an instance of the advantage of landlords living on their own property, and he pledged himself that one resident landlord who would do his duty properly, would do more to preserve the peace of the country than all the military and police that could be introduced into it. He had the satisfaction of knowing he lived amongst a happy and a contented people—every tenant of his had a good blanket to cover him, and his house well stored with provisions. (Loud cheers.) He assured the meeting he was no loser by this, for his property from being ill-managed was now a most productive one. (Cheers.) He described the distress as stretching all along Connaught, Galway, and the entire way up the sea coast to Donegal. The Reverend Baronet concluded by saying that unless some means were adopted to relieve this country, it must become one vast wilderness. A letter from the Roman Catholic Archbishop of that dis trict, who was an eye-witness to the scenes he described : ll'estport, March 28, 1831. My dear Lord—l have been for the last fortnight in this part of the country, and hate witnessed scenes of human misery and distress far exceeding any thing that occurred in 1822. There are many hundred families whose small store of provisions i 3 already exhausted, and the number will increase considerably as the season advances. Many, many are gradually pining away, and falling victims to starvation. —The inhabitams of Westport, with the Marquis of Sligo at their head, have formed themselves, most benevolently, into a Committee of Supply and Relief ; by their benevolent exertions and contributions upwards of nine hundred persons receive as much food at the soup-shops as bertha suffices to keep them alive. The Marquis employs many more, who ate enabled to support their families on their daily hire. But this relief is necessarily confined to a district, while the whole face of the country presents a scene of the most frightful distress. The starvation is occasioned by the total inability of those whose crops have failed, or disposed of to pay the rents and other as sessments, to purchase provisions, however low the price. There is no possibility, in my bumble judgment, of arresting the accumulated pres sure of distress, which is daily advancing with rapid strides, otherwise than by giving employment to the people, and some suitable remunera tion for labour. The landlords and the government are loudly called on to look to this state of things, otherwise it is difficult to say what the consequences may be. But certain it is that matters cannot long continue as they now are. Indeed the present affliction is past human endurance. If the western coast of Mayo be in the dreadful state of destitution of which I have given but a very faint outline, I have reason to know that the whole coast of Connemara is yet in a more pitiable state. No potatoes—no oatmeal—a total failure of the fishery--no price for kelp—no public or private works--no ways or means of earn. ing daily wages—no resident gentry qualified to give much employment or extend gratuitous relief—no food for many of the wretched human beings but sea weed and the:atuallfiabes they pick up along the strand. I shall conclude this doleful narrative by assuring your Grace :hat the picture drawn in the public prints of the miserable condition of the poor of this part of the country is net, to my certain knowledge, exaggerated. Most sincerely your's, OLIVER KELLY. The Lotd Mayor read a letter fr im the Duke of Leinstei, enclosing 1001. and another from a gentleman who signed himself Win. Morley Husisisson, enclosing 1001. Mr. Dombrayue next addressed the meeting, and stated, he had been employed by the Lord Lieutenant to relieve the distressed poor in Donegal and other parts of Ireland. lie read extracts from several of his correspondents. One of them from Sligo, described the poor women being collected, to the amount of 3,000, on the beach, gathering sea-weed to boil, as food for their starving families ! The Dean of ACIION RV spoke in terms of the highest praise of the Irish peasantry, and as to the Catholic clergy, he said, that he had always found them most charitable and good men. (Cheers.) It was his opinion that this country never could be quiet until poor laws were introduced. (Hear, and cheers.) Mr. J. D. LATOUCIIE, in proposing the next resolution, observed, that there should be some legal enactment for the poor. Nothing could permanently preserve the poor from distress, except some legal provision were made for them . (Hear, and cheers.) Rev. Dr. SINGER seconded the resolution. Mr. HOWELL avowed himself now, as he always had been a decided friend to poor laws. He showed from parliamen tary documents the increase of exports of provisions from Bettina in the coarse of a few years, and said the distress of the poor of Ireland was occasioned solely by the excessive rents paid to the landlords, and the only way of reduciug those rents was by poor laws. (Cheers.) Mr. Ev ERA RD mentioned, that landlords who were exor bitant in the demands of their rents, were always unwilling to contribute to the maintenance of the poor. Admiral OLIVER proposed the next resoiution. He said he did not come there to talk, but to pay his subscription. (Hear and laughter.) Mr. O'CONNELL said—l rise to second the motion of Admiral Oliver. I came to this room to protest against the idea of limiting the relief which was required by the Irish peasantry to a portion of the county of Mayo. lam son.) , to say that distress is not confined to the western coast of Ireland. You have already heurd from a distinguished officer, authentic details of its existence in Donegal, front ing the north. I have, as a member of the legislature, rea son to know, that it has penetrated the county of London derry, and almost every district of the north—let me ad, too, this single fact, that in the city of Waterford, in the month of November, which month is always considered the cheap time in the potatoe market, the price was as high as it was in the month of June preceding, which month is re garded as the dear month in the potatoe market. The dis tress, then, is not local ; it is not confined to the western coast ; it has come round to the city of Dublin, through the south ; and if you pass on to Newry, you will find that there I:, moniteitv (hers v.-•• 1:, thrown open-- that the iithibitants became so itur.iver:slied as w be linable to support a ii:endicity ont , i,ut wine obliged to let loose the beggars on the public at huge, to look for their support from them. The distress is tioversal—it is exceed inti;•ly appalling, and it has commenced this year four months earlier than usual. The country tii 'ins' recollection, been fast increasing in destitution, povcity, misery, and dis- • - tress. It was considered at one intik , a common matter to bear of dietress in July ; June afterward_ wl.: regarded the common month for distress—it vas c lied " the buying month," which is in fact synouinious with the greatest dis trei,s, for the Irish peasant has not money to buy potatoes with. Distress next spread to tLt nieuth of May, mid now we have famine at the commencement of the month of April. We have three long months to look forward—foul months, indeed, should the season prove backward; if then something decisive be not done—if, as it is to he supposed, individual subscriptions should fail, we must expict to see the country desolated, and the people starving. Assuredly, this is a subject on which we ought to speak out. '(Hear, hear.) Fifty thousand pounds, which ;:rcs propose,l to be given, will not be enough, and these Cftv thousand have, I am certain, been ofiered with as benevolent Lions as ever animated human beings. (Hear, and cheers.) When it was proposed by Lord Althorpe, and I know no man so little capable of deception as he is, to lend fifty thou sand pounds upon pod security, he knew so little of the real state of Ireland, u 3 to suppose that it could mitigate the distress here. Fifty thousand pounds upon good security Why I could easily raise 200,0001. in Dublin alone upon good security. (Hear.) Recollect, too, what security the government can only take. The parties borrowing must enter into a recognizance, for which their estates are liable. As to offering security upon public works in Ireland, upon what public works in Ireland could security be given ? NVliat are we, then, to do ? I hope this meeting will not :.epnrate without appointing a committee, which will report from week to week, to thegovernment, and that it will, under your lo.d ship's directsons, point out the means necessary to keep the people of Ireland alive, and prevent them starvirig this year. (Hear.) I shall be frank upon this subject. I do think, that not less than one million of money will be re quired for such an object. It may be thought to be an im mensely large sum, bet one less than that, 1 am certain, will not keep the people from famine. (Hear, hear.) Is it nor most melancholy to reflect that famine should pervade such a country as this ?—a country the most productive of any on the face of the earth. There is no country, the surface of which is so small, that is capable of producing one-tenth so much of the necessaries of life, and yet this is the country in which the people are starving,and entire families are perishing from famine I My friend (Mr. H.) has mentioned that the exports have enormously increased, and that this too has happened in seasons of the greatest distress—in such times there has been a great export trade. Why ? The reverend baronet has explained the mystery. Wb At have been the exports ? Cattle, corn, and every kind of provisions, have been sent over to pay the landlords, who never came near their estates. This is the kind of tribute which the Irish are obliged to pay to landlords, not one of whom comes amongst us, and who never yet have looked their tenants in the face. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Such are the men who drain this ceuntry of its wealth, and who, when misery assails their tenantry, lave them to perish, and will not advance one shilling to preserve them. (Hear.) 1 hope that this meeting will have a good result ; here I find a generous rivalship in benevolence, and a praiseworthy conjunction of charitable feelings—do you then tell the go vernment that a small matter of relief will not do even for a brief period—that it is a question of life or death—that there is now an accumulation and encrease in the quantity of misery that require extraordinary means to relieve them, and that if they wait for one month longer before they give that relief, that there will be ten times the quantity of distress. (Hear, hear.) I look around me, and I see many respectable gentlemen, certainly, in the room ; but where are the peerage of Ire land? Where are the titled men of the /and ? (Hear, hear, and cheers.) The Duke of Leinster has certainly sent vs an excellent apology for his absence—still, however, on such an occasion, I should wish to find him present ; but where are the rest ? Ido not see one of them, nor hare yet heard of their subscriptions. (Hear, and cheers.) The honourable Colonel Gout mentioned that his brother, Lord Tyrawley, had procured cheap provisions for his te nantry, and, as his representative, he was about to pay his subscription. Mr. O'Connell : I hope lam not misunderstood. Ido not mean to reflect on any one who has dune his duty to his ten antry. (Hear.) The committee should first look ler sub scriptions, and see in what way the distress of the Irish pea eaniry can be best relieved. In inquiring into the cm.le of poor laws, such as would be fitted for this country, 1 ti list the committee will be as cautious upon the one hand, as it rill be determined on die other; it will be best ab:e to voint out how those laws eau bLi most emphatically appiied to die absentees. • I cannot be an acting member of that committee—my duties will oblige me to be elsewhere; but if your lordship will allow me, I shall feel great pleasure in being a correspoildin6- mem ber of it. (Hear.) I see that the distic:s is infinitely gloater than has been vet described, and that we have to encounter some months of the most appalling distress, if 'chef be not promptly given. (Hear.) A committee was formed, and several sz:bscriptions paid. PARLIAMENTARY REPORT ON TILE STA fE OF THE IRISH I'UOR. The Report of the Select Committre of the House of Commea.s on the State of the Pootcr Classes in Ireland, and thr bes: means of im proving their condition, which, with the Minutes of Evidence, fill* four folio volumes, cot :,,inn an excellent summary of facts and opi nions bearing upon the ;pert dielb10:111 of the subject ; &tn, ttie actual state and condition of the poorer classes in Ireland; secondly, :::e laws which affect them, aid the charitable inatitutitnib both public and private ; and lastly, the remedial measures proposed by thlßrent wit- In considering the last branch of the subject, the Comm:Hee strongly recommend the extension or public works and inland navigation, upon .the principle f loans repayable ..ad adequately secured; and they oh m tee that 6• if tl'e syb.cr, in of local funds be ado ! ned on the Ilighland road precedent, it n.ay be aniieipated, tiorn the exeerience ot the past, that an increase ur V QC. ar et the supper: ion e,f sinui gi mg, will afford to the state an indirect return." On the subject of emigration, the committee coesida that it offers one remedy for the disproportion between the number el labouring clas?es in Ireland and the amount cf capital which can be profitably employed in cleating a demand tor I :boor; and although they are not prepared to reconinteild any canpithory system of taxation far the pur pest:, the "do not cnter:ain the sli;;lnest doubt that colonisation night be ceiried on to a very peat extent tathed, if taciliti.s were afforded by the government to those Irish peasants who were disposed voluntarily to seek a settlement in the colonies " and they speak with apparent apvrobation of a very simple but most effectual ninde by means of public works, of raising Wads to enable the pr or to emigrate—namely, by reserving, with the consent of the patties, a pentien of the wages of labour wire public works are carried on, for defray Mg the expanses of emigrativn. •.* We really feel astonaz.hioeut at the cool way innhick this emigration scheme is discussed, and at ;he flippant way in which poverty is always, and as matter of course, allied to labour. Restore the ancient rate of wages, by reducing rents, and taxing large farms, and in two or three years we shall hear no more of starving population, of •• labouring pcor," or cf sending abroad, to perish in woods and swamps, the muscular strength of the country. Send away the do nothings, and there wiil be wisdom in the plan ; but it is not necessary to send away any. stop exchequer bills, and restore small notes, and there will soon be capital enough for every purpose of industry. No more capital is wanted at home than abroad. 4 (