The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-15 00:00:00

an end to dissensket. A mod respeetable elergyman, of the mildes
nontiliatery demeanour, and a high order of intellect,
Such men as he,
Give grace to holy ministry,"
took the trouble of going down to the county Limerick to' Mr. Smith
O'Brien, with my message of peace. lle, alas! his journey in vain.
I have his authority for saying, that Mr. tonith O'Brien decidedly re-
jected the conference. I regret it extremely ; but it maker it only
the more imperative duty upon me to redouble my exertions for the
sole remaining object of ray political life—the Repeal of the Union.-
-I am, Sir, your obedient servant, llaerteL O'COANELL.
T. l)ecin Reilly, Esq.

The following are the chief passages in Mr. Crawford's
letter to Lord John Russell:
The records of Irish history—the statutes of parliament—
the reports of c iminittees and commissions—all join in
establishing this one undoubted fact—Mgt every evil in the
present conditima of the people of Ireland is directly traceable
to the system in letting lands, adopted by those proprietors on
whom the forfeited estates were originally conferred, and as
continued by their successors. The middle tenant svetem—
the 4o'nt tenancy—the cotter takes—the conacre—the rack-
, venue;:—all these practices, the names of which are
unknown, and almost unintelligible to Englishmen, sprung
from the reckless conduct of these proprietors; and from
hence arises all those evils which we now suffer—excessive
population in some districts—extended wastes in other (al-
-1 most contiguous) parts—bad cultivation—bad housing—
. apathy, indolence, nod idleness of the people—want of em-
ployment—want of manufacture—in fact, the &been,* of
every element of prosperity. This state of things prevails
generally over more than three-fourths of Ireland ; and, if
what I have here asserted requires any confirmation, it is
found in the fact, that, in the nottli.eastern portion of the
province of Ulster, in which is situate the town of Belfast, I
where the relations of landlord and tenant were established I
on more just principles, a prosperous, happy, and well-
employed population eahibit all the beneficial fruits of in-
dustrious enterprise.
Such was the mischief created by those proprietors on I
whom the state conferred those leads. They had no feeling
of moral responsibility fur the welfare of the people, and no
legal responsibility was created by the laws of the country.
Why ? Because these landlords were themselves WO the
government and the legislators ; they had supreme power in
the Irish parliament, and worked together solely for their
own selfish objects. But the landlords of the present day
will say, we are not to blame for this; it was the landlords of
former generations whOwere the authors of the evil; we are
sufferers in common with the rest of the community. Very
true; but if we, the landlords cf the present day, have, by
inheritance, the estates of our forefathers, ar.d enjoy the
rights and privileges attached to the possession of landed
property, can we throw off the responsibility attached to
their misdeeds? Injustice we cannot. I, for one, shrink
not from the full acknowledgment of the responsibility.
I have briefly stated the causes of our diseased system. I
next inquire for what defect in our treatment was this
diseased condition suffered to take rout, and progress, ar it
has done? I answer briefly—Because no leyalresprmsibilty
was imposed on the property of the country, for the emp:or
men, of the people. Then what is the remedy ? I answer
as briefly.—lmpose this responsibility in its direct and simple
form, throwing aside the mischievous complications of ad-
vances from, and debts to, the state, and the accumulating
pressure mashing from such a course.
I would impose permanently on the property of the
country the responsibility of the employment of the 1
people; but, under the extraordinary and unexpected 1
pressure existing at this time, I would propose that a'l
temporary discretion should be vested in the govern-
ment,
in case the demands on any particular union ex- I
eeeded a certain amount on the valuation; and, in case the
government should he satisfied that all due exertion had
been made in the locality, to order a contribution, in aid
from the public funds, to such extent as might be necessary,
not to be chargeable on the union. The state, being reap .n-
-sable for its neglects, as well as the landlords, may be fairly
expected to contribute its quota; the principle of the ordi-
nary responsibility of the property of the country being fiat
established by a permanent law.
But the Employment Act of the 9th and 10th Victoria
has directly opposite effects to those I have described. It
encourages lavish expenditure, by furnishing the means far
that expenditure, without the control of the present pres-
sure of taxation ; and, as it is now acted on in Ireland, It
encourages the execution of works from which no profit-
able return can be expected, either to the state or to indivi-
duals. The pressure of distress induces the acceptance of
the state money, without considering the effects which must
be produced in the swamping of property, and curtailing
the means of future improvement; and, in many cases, I
believe it is grasped in the hope that it never will be de-
manded, or, if demanded, that it will he paid by a discharge
under the insolvent act. Instead of stimulating enterprise,
it creates apathy in all classes as regards the use of their
own means to give employment, or to advarce their condi-
tion. Landlords, tenants, merchants, and all classes, high
and low, are looking for government money in one form or
other, not considering, and some not expecting, that a day
of reckoning is to come ; and thus that want of self-reliance
1 and self-action, which is the great fault of the Irish charac-
ter, is encouraged and perpetuated. The application of '
British money in this way is no boon to Ireland; but it
would be a boon to expend it in useful public works, which
would make a return of profit to the state for the money
applied, thus co-operating with individual exertion in the
employment of the people ; and, among these public works
which might be undertaken, none would mike a more
ample or useful return than the occupation and reclamatien
of the waste lands, now lying to so great an extent unproduc-
tive alike to the owners and to the state, by which means
would be also obtained of relieving over-populated localities.
But, if the duty of employing and feeding the people be im-
posed on the property
.of the country, the owners of pro-
perty have a right to claim such other enactments as will re-
move all impediments to the free use of the income derived
from the lands of Ireland ; and the tenantry class have a
right to claim such laws as will ensure the full recompense
for their labour and capital. I shall briefly refer to some of
these measures :
I. Ample and easy powers of charging the hthetitance of settled
estates with money, expended on every kind of permanent improve-
meas. 2. A power of charging mortgages, annuitants, and rent-
chargers, with their proportion of all local tulatiun paid by the land-
owner. '3. Ample powers to sell or exchange settled property subject
to the mica of the trusts. 4. power to the tenant to obtain v
italureueof
lir
compenmitiou for hi whose right, arising [rent the expend
labour and capital in improvements.
Space does not permit me to refer to various other measures
of the improving and ameliorating character pointed out in
the poor inquiry and land commission reports, which are
entitled to the instant attention of the legislature. If the
measures of relief to the landlords of Ireland which I have
referred to above were , I have no doubt that the in-
come of the country, called into action by a labour employ-
ment act, in conjunction with such public works as the go-
vemment might undertake, would give ample employment
to the whole population requiring it.

SCOTLAND.
NATIONAL EDI:CATIOS IS SCOTLAND.—Sir' —I have
read with considerable interest the letter of" S. T. S." which
appeared in the Express of the Bth instant, relative to na-
tional education in Scotland, with your own remarks thereon ;
and I trust you will allow me to add a few words on the sub-
ject, dictated, I can assure you, from no combative feeling,
but solely from a wish to assist, however humbly, in forward-
ing a greet and glorious cause. The desire of your cones-
p,:ndent is that the present parochial schools should be so
exten,led as to overtake the entire wants of the community,
and he is L'd to propose this, partly because these institutions
already form ,!?1e nucleus of a national system, and partly
because the mind a the country is greatly prepossessed
their favour. I do not deny either position, but being
strongly impressed with the nreeeaity in all cases of proposed
change of grappling with things as they really are, instead of
treating of them as they ought to be, I am afraid that due
allowance has not been made for the difficulties that stand in
the way of the contemplated extension. Concessions are no
doubt offered to opposing parties, but 1 question much if
they are sufficiently extensive to neutralise opposition 7 and
I shall et once point out where " the shoe will pinch," pre-
mising that on the reasonableness of the opposition I offer no
opinion, being desirous of discussing the point on abstract
grounds end free from all party feeling. fiootland
has parochial and extra-parochial schools, and in
legislating for a new system, "Is blahomet to go
to the mountain, or the mountain to Mahomet ?"
in other words are the endowed schools to be assimilated to
the unendowed, or vice reran To test this, numerical
strength must be considered, and in the absence of any
later authentic information, we mast fall back on the " re-
turns from the several presbyteries of Scotland, regarding
the state of education in the year 1834, made pursuant to
an address of the House of Commons," which, although
approximative, were nevertheless made by the official
guardians of the proehial system, and therefore quoad it
'must be regarded as impartial.
Number ot Parochial rebools .-u • 4047
other Schools
Greatest number attending PatTaddiehOda 79,484
other Saimaa 107,310
Since 1834, the disruption of the Established Church has
added to the extra schools, and the proposed education
scheme of the Free Church, will materially increase them,
so that numerically a formidable opposition frowns upon us
at the outset. The returns furnish no information as to the
quality of instruction in private schools, nor do they give
any information on other important particulars, which may
or may not be in favour of the parochial schools, but making
full allowance for all that, enough remains behind to in-
dicate that the elements of opposition exist, should occasion
call them forth. Then the whole fees, salaries, and ether
emoluments of parochial teachers do not average 5.51. per
num, so that as a high kind of education cannot be -
panected for such a sum, recourse must be had to the ex
ex-
chequer for augmentation ; and this cannot be done without
offering a scheme generally acceptable. Your corres-
pondent, indeed, suggests with commendable liberality,
that parish schools should be thrown open to dissenters,
I bat, then, teachers are to be instructed under the surveil-
' lance of the "presbyteries and synods ot the bounds," which,
of
course, means the luclieatories of the estabhshed church ;
an arrangement which the present ecclesiastical divisions
would never admit of
be
carried into effectmore
particularly would this not be the cue, after the offer of Dr.
Hook to relinquishthe claims of the church of England, in
order that dissenters in the southern part of the kingdom
Welt be conciliated and won over to a nati tem. I
onal sys
greatly fear therelbre, that to insure harmony, government
suit subsidize existing school witsblishnsenu, or take all
education under its own control, and allow each sect to sup-
ply religious training to its own adherents : at all events,
candour obliges me to state, that, personally, I can see no
other way of smoothing difficulties. lam sorry to see your
correspondest deprecating normal schools. Lam not pre-
wed to say what success has hitherto attended thew institu-
tions in this country where they have been so recently
established; but I cannot understand why systematic instruc-
tion should not be equally favourable for rearing
maiden as as well as other professions. Ordinary teachers ars
shoed" too much employed to teach their brethren; and, el-
tbough clerical presbyteries have to do with clerical payee.
OA% it is mostly is Ole way of text, as theology is regularly