The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

(reON OUR OWN conseromirr.)

A pamphlet upon "Irish subjects" has recently
been published by the Hon. Robert O'Brien
(brother of Lord Inchiquin and of Mr. Smitk
O'Brien), which, though not remarkable for much
originality of thought or brilliancy of style, is
nevertheless of some value from the admissions
which the writer, a decided conservative and high
churchman, is compelled to make. It is written in
the fipenserian form of a dialogue, the "parties"
being "an Irishman" and "au Englishman ;"
but the author has shown some disregard for dra-
matic propriety by making the former grave, logical,
and busiuess-like; while the latter does nothing
but ask impertinent questions about all manner of
persons and things.
The first feature which excites the " English-
man's" surprise is that there should be in Ireland
"so little loyalty, or rather so much disloyalty."
This the "Irishman" ascribes, in reply, to three
causes—first, "bitter memories of the peat;'
secondly, "the infrequency of royal visits to Ire
land ;" and. thirdly, " the existence of the vice-
royalty"—that court, in his opinion, "tending to
lower the standard of loyalty" by presenting to
us "the representative of the dominant party
rather than of the sovereign." Mr. O'Brien
treats the Irish Church as old 'sate Walton advises
us to treat the bait-fish. He inserts the hook, but
he does so "tenderly as though he loved it." He
admits it to be "an anomaly, that the clergy of a
section should have the property intended for the
benefit of the whole population ;" avows his belief
that "the Church would gain both in reputation
and efficiency if the funds could in some measure be
redistributed ;" and propounds a scheme for the
partialendowment of theßoman Catholic clergy, to
the extent at least of providing glebe houses for the
parish priests.
Tho land question Mr. O'Brien, not unnaturally,
regards from the landlord point of view. I.as no
words of censure for those wealthy propri.:ors who,
"owning a very large potion of the country,
seldom or never appear in it." He is siitmt about
the selfish extravagance and political tyranny
which—with their inevitable consequences, rack-
rents to supply the one, and secret combinations
amongst the peasantry to defeat the other—Lave
for years been the characteristics of Irish squire-
dom ; but he half-unconsciously throws a little
light upou the motives by which this class may be
actuated at times, when he informs us that " when
the new franchise was framed (in 1828) the land-
lords, who thought the tenants ini:lit vote
against their intere'ts, refused to grant uerr. leases."
Mr. O'Brien otters some valuable sugcestions
with respect to the amendment of the Poor Law,
and certain desirable modifications of till National
system of education, which I am sorry your space
does not permit toe to notice more particularly.
But I cannot refrain from adverting (after the
gloomy imaginative pictures of the condition of
Irish emigrants in America to which we have of
late been accustomed) to what Mr. O'Brien has to
tell us upon this subject from his own .Mscrvation
and knowledge :—" Emigration has enabled thou-
sands of them to obtain not only a comfortable
settlement for themselves, hut also surplus wealth
to send back to the members of their families at
home. From America at present throughout the
country letters have reached the peasantry giving
accounts of high wages. For instance, in the county
of Clare, a poor man who could nieely obtain one
shilling a day, states that he is now receiving twelve
shillings a day ; and that the women of his family
&redressed as well as the ladies in Ireland." It is
no wonder that the poor " Englishman," after this
description, feels completely dumbfoundered, and
can only exclaim, " What a contrast ! poverty and
semi-starvation here, wealth and comfort there :"

THE INCENDIARY TIRES oirrirs YORKSHIRE
BOLDS.

At York, yesterday, John Sherwood was charged
with the arson of stacks of wheat and oak, ftc propert&f.
John nordess, at Thing. on the 21st of October la.t.
was one of the came of incendiarism which c weed so much
ehrm a few months ago. The prisoner's admissions proved
that he bad been actuated by intense hostility to the farmers
whew stacks he so wantonly destroyed.

The jury found the prisoner Gati
The Judge (Mr. Justice Bytes) in sentencing him, said—
John Sherwood. this is a crime of very "(ohms magnitude.
The property destroyed was very lame, and having seen this
depositions I have every mums to believe that your state-
ment is true that this is not the only crime of which yea
have been guilty. This is a crime which deserves sod moat
receive a very severe sentence. and the motence is that you
be kept la peas! servitude for years.
There wore three other isdietnieets, but Mr. J =tile
Bytes mid that the prisoner having hese enevictad, the
other indictments need not be tried, but they were to re-
main on the tile, as he saw no reason why the prisoner
should be absolved from the charge.