The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-03 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 3, 1847.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, APRIL I.
When the news of the defeat of Lord Bentinck's
clause has reached the Irish provinces, the rate-payers
will congratulate themselves on their narrow escape
from destruction, for the ruin of the present genera-
tion of farmers at kast was involved in its success.
The smallness of the majority, however, renders it
not improbable that the clause will be carried in the
Upper House. Already the press begins to sound the
alarm, and an active agitation will perhaps be
commenced to quicken the attention of onr repre-
sentatives to the rights of the farmers. Another
source of uneasiness to the small occupiers is Mr.
Gregory's clause, which, in combination with his
emigration clause, will have the effect of forcing the
surrender of the patches of land misnamed " holdings."
People are confused with the number and variety of
changes which accompany our social revolution.
The twenty per cent. reduction has been followed
by no disastrous consequences. In very few districts
have the relief committees refused to co-operate with
the government officers, and the result 'has had a
favourable effect on cultivation. A very large pro-
portion—indeed the great majority of the dismissed
labourers, have been absorbed, and the proof lies in
the general repose of the country. In some localities
the order has not been complied with—for instance
in Owning, county Kilkenny, where the chairman
of the relief committee refused to furnish the lists,
and threw the responsibility of dismissal on the
Board of Works' officer. Generally a better under-
standing has prevailed between committees and
officers, and though in some cases the rule bore bard
on the labouring classes, yet, in the main, the conse-
quences have proved beneficial. The time was well
chosen. Had it been earlier, when the markets were
high and field employment scarce, the labouring
classes would have suffered dreadfully--or later, and
the fields would have lain unaown. Altogether, the
government has no reason to regret that portion of its
policy.
Cultivation is in cheerful progress throughout the
country. The ploughs are all at work in Limerick ;
in the King's County tillage is steadily and satisfac-
torily proceeding; the landlords generally providing
their poorer tenantry with seed, and taking as security
notes payable after harvest.. Even in Mayo, some-
thing is being done, and I find that Lord Kilmaine,
an extensive proprietor in that county, has provided
his tenantry with seeds of all kinds—corn and green
crops ; for his Wexford tenantryhe has done the same.
Sir Brooke Brydgea, though a non-resident landlord,
has directed a statement of the position of his
tenantry in the Queen's County to be laid before him,
preparatory to his supplying them with seeds in
abundance for spring and green crops. He
has also pledged himself to afford other relief
to such as need it. Mr. Harvey, of Kyle,
in the county of Wexford, and Mr. W. Villiers Stuart,
M.P., have also given directions to supply their te-
nantry with seed. The latter gentleman, who has
recently inherited considerable estates in Kilkenny
and Cork, has announced that he will not demand any
rent from the tenantry before November. The
Messrs. Harding, of Cork--one a barrister, the other
a merchant—have also supplied their tenantry with
seed. It is well to note these individual instances of
attention on the part of the landlords : they are, I
fear, but the exceptions.
The Chamber of Commerce is organising an op-
position to the Dublin Improvement Bill, and the
promoters are preparing to push forward the claims
of the municipality, and to operate ou the ministry
and the English members. Tho wealthier classes are
all on the aide of the former ; and on the side of the
latter, little more than the just principle strenuously
advocated by Mr. Labouehere, that Dublin was enti-
tled to, and ought to have, the same rights and privi-
leges as the other great cities and towns of the empire.