The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-19 00:00:00

Grant, an English consul, said that the seem wan nameemas
in which peruses had moped disease after *utast with other.
who were mslianantly attacked with it. To that fact he
(Dr. Bowrhsg) could bear his persons' testimony. Indeed,
he did met believe the disease could be communicated from one
pesos teenother in a pure atincephere. In 11144 •COMlShieloll,
ampesed °faun of the highest profeariend and scientific ohs-
meter, wasnotninated oy the Royal Aced. my of France to in-
quire into the whole question of the plague and quarantine
bey .received every existence from the government, and
after an elaborate examination, they reported the eenclusions
be which they came, and which he conceived completely
made out a ease fur great and important changes in the
quarantine laws. The hon. gentleman then reed from the
Mato the following effect : " They had collected facet
p to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which
proved that the plague was a spontaneous diseue, and was
set caused by contagion or infection, and that it arose
spontaneously, in Egypt, Syria, and other countries. In
all these countries where it was spontaneous, it originated in
certain determinate conditions of the people. which were
derived from climate, local causes, unwholesome food, &e.
The plague was endemic in Egypt, and became epidemic
every tenth year; but there was note single tact to prove its
Iran= iseibility by contact." He( Dr. Bowrieg) had moved for
*return of the numbs r of person, who had di, d of the plague
iu lazaretto, from contact, and the return Min nil. No case
of plegue tied ever arisen from the cotton imported into this
country from those countries where it prevailed. There had
teen a great alteration of opinion, as well u of the repute-
hone relating to quarantine, in France, Austria, and Russia,
and he thought the government of this country might well
adopt a similar course. He had communicated with Dr.
.110 bad been sent to Barons Vista to inquire
into the cause of the disease on board the Eclair, and that
gentleman was of opinion that the quarantine laws were net
beneficial; and it was probable, if they had never existed,
the deaths that had occurred on board that vessel would
never have hapecned. The hon. gentlemen concluded by
moving for the pipers of which he had given notice.
Mr. HOME. in secouding the motion, said that there wu
no instance of the persons employed in the quarantine seta- _
bliMmente, in opening the cargoes of vessels coming from
country, where these diseases existed, having been infected. •
Those establishments oust 130,0001. a-year, and the whole a .
system was calculated to interfere wit It Ueda sad comsaidox •
Kr. M. GIBSON sea them Mr se =ieLl,
=et to she preasetisa of the ' • ; •
scald be no doubt that the qiiiiantinet regulations of
different countiitS were prejudicial to commerce, and were a
cause of just comdlait.t. But in England they had been re-
duced to an almost nominal syetent, as in the cue of ships
from Turkey, Syria, and Egyr. They 'urea...mined without
quarantine, if they were not laden with what were called
susceptible articles. The difficulty in making any alteration
wu, that it would be necessary before anything could be
done, all countries mutt agree in it, for if " pratique" were
given to shies here without their undergoing quarantine,
they would probably not be admitted to ports in the Medi-
terranean, where they are now allowed to enter, without
quarantine. Ile was anxious that the quarantine mu-
tations ehould be reduced to the lowest 'smut, and be made
as little injurious to co,omeree as possible.
Mr. THORNELY shortly urged on the government to
take the quarantine laws into consideration, after which
The motion was armed to.
ABSENTEEISM IN IRELAND.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN then rose to bring forward the
motion of which he had given notice. He said he wu sensi-
ble that he bad imposed a task on himself which would not
be aeceptable to the house as so large a portion of the wealth
of this country was derived from remittance, similar to what
were called abuntaarente in Ireland, and which came from
the East and Wen Indies as well as from his own country.
He could not, therefore, he surprised at any reluctant,e
which was sheen to secede to a proposition, the tendency a.
which was to reduce those resuitunces. He had had on
opportunity of seeing the emaciating effects in his own
country of this absenteeism. He was aware how the absenee
of proprietors of estates discouraged the efforts of those who
steinamed and were doing their duty; and he felt it imperative
upon him to bring forward this subject at a time when they
were considering how to remedy the disaster which existed
M Ireland. BO one who had visited or written about
Ireland, no authority, whether derived from a govern-
ment commission or from a committee of that house,
but admitted the effect produced by the non-residence of
proprietors. But it was strange that some persons
who called themselves philosophers and political sconomista,
maintained that Ireland did not suffer by absenteeism. Mr.
Maireulloch, however, who was the drat to propagate that
opinion, had modified, if he had not renounced it. Ireland
wee in the same condition as if she remitted annually a large
tribute in goods and money to this country. That property,
therefore,which, it it had remain ectin Ireland, would have gone
to the labourer and the shopkeeper, and have stinaulatea art
and industry, was brought to other countries to produce that
ffect which it would, had it been distributed at home. The
moral effeet of absenteeism, however, was admitted even by
these philosophers. There mu no situation more responsible
than that of a country gentleman, whether as regarded his
neighbours, or his tenantry and dependents. It was almost
patriarchal. It embraced the improvement of the cultiva-
tion of the soil, the administration of charity, whether pri-
vate or by public taxation, as well as the protection of life
and property, and thesuperintendence of education and pub-
lic instruction. He would illustrate the cases of residence
and non-reaidence, by a ease which came under his own ohs
serration. (The honourable gentleman then drew a
parallel between the estates of the late Earl of Egre-
moot, which were worth 25,0001. a-year, and on
which not 5001. a-yecr was expended, although that
nobleman was an excellent English landlord, and those of
Sir Robert Gore Booth. a gentleman who had been so fa-
vourably mentioned by the Secretary for In land.) The rents
annually received by sbeentee landlords amounted to four
millions, or one third of the whole rental of the country. He
bad takoa the trouble to go through the peerage, sod would
name those who had property in Ireland, which they never
visited. There were reveral London companies
Irish estates which drew large revenues from Ireland, sr.
gave no return, except a few good dinners to the numbers of
that house. These he would include among absentee pro-
, priet ars, who should be liable to an impost as compensation
fir the non-fulfilment of the *sides which belong to property.
The peerage furnished him a long list of absentee proprie-
tors, including the Dukes of Devonshire, Buckingham, and
Bedford ; the Marquises of Hertford, Thomond, Lansdowne,
ConynOam, Donegal, and Abercom ; with Lords Fitzwil-
Earn, (brk, Clanwilliam, and a host of others. He couldnot
undertake toenumerate the Commoners; but among that class
of gigantic proprietors were the names of the right hon.
gentleman the member for Wiltshire (Mr. S. Herbert), Mr.
Stafford O'Brien, Mr. Greville, Mr. Lane Fox, mid Mr.
Ormsby Clore. Redid not produce these lists for the purpose
of exciting invidious feelings, but in order to oak those gen-
tlemen to Illeiht him to-night in obtaining forlrelsnd some com-
pensation for the neglect of the performance of those obliga-
tions which belong to the possessors of property. The mode to •
which this was to be done appeared to him to be perfectly
simple—namely, to impose upon them such a tax as would
either induce residence is order to avoid it or the sale of their
Irish estates to proprietors who would become residents. If it
fined in producing either of these results it would at least
lard to Ireland a fund for compensation for the loss of the
basefits which arise from the presence of a resident promise.
toy. There was nothing new in this proposition, for during
a loop eerie. of years there had been an uniform principle of
biblatieu in favour of an absentee-tax. This tax was ma-
' peed in 1295, and had been renewed from time to time dews
is the year 1752. He asked then if there could be the
smaliset bob bat that if one-third of the rental
al Meilead was anneal, remitted to foreign countries, par-
!burnt Mould interpose to prevent the evils which would
nab Gem the withdrawal of so large a portion of the reedit
Why, then, should not this now be done with respect to
Imbed ? He believed that every well-minded proprietor in
Imbed would be glad, if cammetances required, to have en
appostanity of making emu reetugsnestrn for his absence
by mans of a obteid sompemation fund ; and he
end* the et the sogpolim that the imposition
MA it tax would Amtny the aurae of voluntary Charity.
If fhb substitute far abeam was not sanctioned, he believed
that absenteeism would continue to humus. But it was
edl,—what was to be Ease in the case of those paeans who
bed property in E bee as well ea in Ireland? Hie snorer
wos, that it waiaperible for them to fulfil their &-
Mb left erastrits. sad that the sooner they sold their
ft hider it would be for that country.M
e haV Mrs government would undertake a messara
which would be calculated so facilitate exchanges of
wkieh, owing to settlements, could not now be pile fed.
with respect to the definition of residence, he would adopt
that which was provided by the Property Tax Aet, in min.
lima to the exemption of Irish members from that impost.
The mods of levying the absentee-tax he would propose,
shed& he through the boards of guardians, who knew the
wins of may msn's property in the union, and also whe-
ther be was resident or not. The minimum tax he would
lb at ten per cent. upon the rental, to be increased if not
elbstsial ; sad the fond■ so raised he would apply in aid of
bud beadle mil improvements. He did not sup..
tossebe the infinance width would be brought tist
ambet tftt, that he had the remotest dome, et arming the
oesoblion he intended to submit, but he haweght b hewer*
la mbar to show that, even what
Wet ties permed, it was impimids 1!1= tsar
te &Mk babl!lra, that womb be Mil, en
as bmlletal, toireland. At sham* be had endosiontell
to ditiliwo bb duty, mod he MI it to the hues lo pollen
its My 'Ms hon. esember 11111111•61 by wing Ihedii.
lew.Ba d
lseddiese net, imemantit es tits nonwsdides
Z
et In Ireland it sae of the awns
maid in that it is expelled In
E.. by way of qmid wissimisat, in di Mined
of
OS useful nature, era the abase d.Mrbe yew
with • view to make Ewe esmpseadien be Ile
evils resulting ban their nenweeidesses."
Mr. T ITE iesseded the aestAse, sad e=sl al the
manner is whisk the evens efprepety
those duties 'slab the remelew ef pepreety :111,1saa
the twist Odle misty be top
hod
raised a relief fluid of 40U., et whisk OIL Ilk halt eta
eastalhated b the farmer., end yet Ma elimbe yaw
pieties ( the Oldie beammes Oaesteb with &-
rind 'overate bees thesbialsib **rhea
only suesseiella sentethedsms to the swounteflBl.
It true thet away ream mho belt ripely In Ina-
bamu il hag deo their shaty, ameseuttbrm =DemA hs trawl
Earl et
the Mar el Lessivirms, the Delos el ohlesetlitz
Dws, the Mary& el Leedeniay, and iN
whose wwinst lei Use mat prehoweibl. braewls
might maybe Amid ad the idea -peopeistsd, se a
body, lola sigliatei their linty maw Wien the begs ass.
Is male seenbles, the Aswan et tedleg =let
led bon
ipje.elt. At littespa's the
slesialei with s="ill. hut snballitil
to Mid hind; while lbw Maoist
with a maw' el 4,6601., lei edesdled 4104
curse, imes as mach, mead being lei he Me edema et
mufti, es ltd Imes aelesdhei Mr abaudeeb (111 Me.)
It element/fhb thatthe well pewit daM
In Imbed that in say stembytaDF; hem
that Was Midges 1116 ef tubes of Ile osoolo. _
mildent gement ler this ; but bed beads* thani,
dubg a taideise of twenty-Ate yeses in Wand. awl