The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-20 00:00:00

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the extremity of its tether; in appear—meg
time when no more money can be itioeczt4, j,e'regl
a regime of terror andlieepotisou irosiiturParuft,
pay soldiers for coercing it.
Whilst thus making comparisons forced upon Us .
the simultaneous occurrence of the same party straitees
in both countries, we must guard ourselves against being-
/apposed to assimilate, in all things, either the courts of
Lisbon and Madrid, the court parties, or the Liberele.
The Portuguese Liberals, we regret to say, have shown
none of that real moderation and wisdom displayed
by three who hold the analogous position in Spain.
The Spanish Liberals have grown out of mere sans
culoaism, which it is to be feared the Portuguese have
not ; and Queen MARIA DE GLORIA has infinitely
more reason to distrust her subjects than IsAsELLA.
On the other side, the name of SALDAREIA still
inspires a confidence which that of Inv Raz certainly
does not. One cannot, indeed, well understand or
believe that this veteran Constitutionalist should have
so far forgotten his principles, as to make himself the
instrument of restoring or carrying on the debasing
despotism of the CABRALS.
Since writing the above, we perceive it rumoured
that Oporto demurs against the new coup deka that
it not only refuses to receive the Duke of TERCEIRA,
the general of the new 'government, but has even
arrested him ; and that LAS ANT" the military
chief of the late Liberal ministry, has raised the
standard of revolt, and demands a regency in the
name of the infant prince. If all this be true, the
French system in Spain as well as in Portugal is
menaced with perilous days, or downright overthrow.

..! , -1, 1:r1

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" HEAVEN helps those who help themselves." There
is little hope for Ireland, unless native intelligence
and devotion come in aid of Imperial efforts and
Treasury advances.
We have often alluded to the recklessness of the
barony presentments. The labour of the Board of
Works has been increased to an intolerable degree
by the absence of all discrimination in the presenters.
They seem to have altogether misapprehended the
co-operation demanded of them. They satisfy their
notions of-duty by passing in a lump all the applica-
tions presented. As to picking out the reproductive
projects from the heap, or apportioning the work pro-
posed to the destitution of the district, such refine-
ments are unthought of. The commonest business
forms are disregarded. There is a chairman
in despair—his will tossed to and fro on
the billows of popular feeling, that surge and
roar about him—vainly endeavouring to dis-
cover what is the motion before the meeting,
convulsively catching at something that has probably
never been proposed, or at all events, if it have found
a proposer, has fallen to the ground without being
seconded. There are stray amendments in search
of their original; resolutions; presentments without
presenters; applications for roals, of which no one
knows the locality, or can certify their existence ;
estimates of money dashed into, without any know-
ledge of the numbers to be relieved ; every body
talking, nobody listening ; infinite passion ; the lie
bandied about ; challenges offered and accepted ;
jokes cracked; the chairman helpless; the secretary
disgusted ; the speakers abusing each other ; the
I officer of the Boards of Works aghast ;—and a chance
Saxon spectator, travelling for insight into Irish
grievances and their remedies, rapidly rising to a
conviction that there is something to blame beyond
the Government. And, this, while starvation is howl-
ing outside the court-house.
Such is the machinery on which, in many cases,
Government has to rely for the local administration
of its schemes for the relief of Ireland. It is impos-
sible, with every wish to be considerate in judgment,
to find excuse for such monstrous incapacity; or to
found hope on the disorderly, feather-headed, fatally
ready-witted men, who figure at these meetings, and
carry away the attention of the actors by a laugh
and a joke, or divert it from the matter in hand
by getting up a squabble with an opponent, or an
attack on the Government. The result of such
scenes is what might be expected. All the pre-
sentments made are passed, not nem. eon., but
often men. con., in'sheer despair of enforcing atten-
tion to business. The populace, admitted to the
morn, overbear magistrates and cess-payers with
clamour. Those who should, at such a moment, be
their leaders, controllers, and guides; supporting
them by the example of labours undergone cheerfully,
and in order ; show themselves the helpless slaves
of their yells and clamour ;—flinging from their own
shoulders on to those of the Board of Works, the toil
of discovering the amount of destitution to be re-
lieved, and the means of relieving it; flying from
their duties in confessed helplessness ; and leaving
the ignorant wretched mob totho promptings of their
own wild wills, and baffled appetites.
In estimating the difficulties of Government, we can-
not lay too much stress on the impediments created by
this lamentable want of gravity and business-like
management and dispatch, among the magistracy,
priesthood, and cess-payers of the distressed districts
of the south and west. The report of a Cork Present-
ment
Sessions, held at Macroom on Tuesday last, will
appear exaggerated to English readers. Accustomed
to the business of the vestry, or board of guardians ;
I often stormy and worked on by passions, all the
stronger for their narrow parochial limits; the middle-
class Saxon understands by " a noisy meeting" some-
thing very different from what is indicated in our
extracts.

"The extraordinary prreentraent sesetona for this barony was held
on Tuerstay in the Cramt-henm of Maaroom. Captain %%Wile was
moved to the chair. pie meted whisk =Awl into the building made
it almost insufferalik to ramie there, while occasionally the shies
way of a form or partition timed miler, for the safety of those in its
seighbourhood. °again Beedmielt, of Conciliation Mt, made him.
self particularly prembaent la getting present :emote granted. The
prosetslings went mokilledM • manner that rendered it totally Inc.
nails to giro a MOM reE No discussion ensued that ten, at
tart, were not sp=citt same moment, while those the body
at the court went all their
The VIM Instructions osbreLord Lieutenant in
raihrenee to ea freinsge and subsoilleg under the Labour.
rate Is. . staring on the making of presentments for drain-
age end it would be necessary, he mid, to determine upon
the MIMI* Of and what would be mobile to amens to
meet the
" A ellesseeles then ensued as to whether pante kw three c r six
months ebenkl.he made.
" dissiemen Wlikk will you grant, for three or Mr months I
ges of 'dem months,' which was drowned by a host of voices yel.
be 'ix,' and the some for some mina( es was terrific.)
Mr. J. B. Warren: For Cod's wake pass anythney, ao you Let us
"orhatati: ititititL ix! (Tremendous yells of yes.')
" Mr. J. R. Warren : Anythiny at all, for pram inks.
" Score' ary Will you take the applications In electoral divisions !
" Mr. M. H. Warren : "f is quite unneseareary to go into the valua-
tion at all. (Tells.)
" Secretary: Unions you comply with the inetructions most of the
applications will fall to the ground. (Uproar.)
Chairman: Take it any way. (Year.)
" Secretary : Let us begin with the parish of Macroorn. (Great
confusion.) For mercy sake, be quiet. The valuation of the pariah
of Macroom is 8,3641. 18a. 6d.
" Mr..l. E. M'Carthy : I move that 8,000/. be granted for the sup-
port of the people of Macro= tin six months. ( Oh, !" with
yells of approval.) the reason I adopt that is, not for the purpne of
kev-ing as great • sum, but to comply with the mandate of the govern-
mint. (Great yelling.) I move that we take the poor-law valuation
In each parish to eatisly the mandate. (Cries of "Mat enough.")
" Cbanaellor Herrick hoped they would not come forward with a
epecieus appearance of humanity, and do that which was ludicrously
extravagant. (Awful uproar, which lasted some minutes.)
"Secretary : Graciout God, what a write
"Mr. M. Et. Warren: I oppose 8,0001. (Dreadful yelling.) I care
not what may be the ccerequence, I oppose it (Vociferous bahing.)
" Rev. H. Strammy : There are 430 unemployed people. (Increased
timer.)
Mr. M. H. Warren: My enkulation of the unemployed in the
pariah of Mango* is 586. (Yells.)
" Mr. J. E. WC•rthy : Six hunired for sir months, at Is. • day,
will be 5,0001. Now, I'm saddled that 4,000!. be granted. (Tells.)
" Mr. J. B. Warren: And I wend that. (Dreadful confusion, at
least thirty voices addressing the chair.)"

The secretary discharges throughout this appalling
scene the part of the Greek chorus. He makes reflec-
tions, and cocasionally suggests attention to points of
form and matters of prudence ; and, as in the Greek
tragedies, is entirely disregarded by the principal
actors. Mr. J. B. WARREN is the representative of the
" anything for a quiet life " principle. He is ready to
second any motion, to pass any works, to vote any
sums, provided only they'll "let him out of that." It
strikes us he ought not only " to be let out of that,"
bat that he ought never to have been let into that.
His effort is apparently to demonstrate the utter use-
lessness of barony presentments. We do not know
what party he belongs to r-whether he is a disgusted,
high-flying Protestant-ascendancy, Boyne-wr ter man,
glad to show the government what Catholic emanci-
pation has brought the country to ; or a Repealer,