The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-12-06 00:00:00

LONDON.
THURSDAY; DECEMBER 6, 1811.

We do not e*pect that the Address to the Kix%
which was voted at the Thatched House on Tues-
day last, by the meeting of the Noblemen said
Gentlemen connected with Ireland, will have the
effect of inducing his MAJESTY to call his Parlia-
ment together one day earlier than had been pre-
viously appointed ; but no doubt can be eater-
gained that the unla►ppy state of Ireland will be
noticed in a prominent manner in the Speech from
the Throne, and will occupy the attention of Pat-
!lament previous to the discussion of any other
topic. We hope that Select Committees will be
appointed by both Houses of Pa►liament, to
quire not merely into the causes of the present
discontents, but generally into the condition of the
laboariug classes and the peasantry of Ireland, with
a view to the suggestion of some remedy fur in).
proving their moral and social condition. It was
universally admitted ut the meeting on Tuesday,
that the causes of the present diacoutents are not of
momentary existence—that they are the same that

have been in fearful operation for centuries, and
that evils such as we now coutemplate with horror
acid astonishment, must for ever return to our view,
unless these causes, which have acquired strength
from time, and have been fostered by the wicked and
selfish passions of those who were bound to repress
them, be effectually removed. Convinced as we are
of the truth of such representations, we must lament
that an inquiry, such as is now suggested. should
be forced upon the unwilling attention of the
Legislature; and that. propositions. urging the
wisdom of preventing. by timely precautions, such
miseries as we now witness, when inquiry might
have been conducted with calmness and temper, had
been hitherto uniformly rejected. The necessity of
investigating the condition of Ireland has been fre-
quently submitted to either House of Parliament by
various Members. It formed a prominent part of a
motion for an inquiry into the state of the station,
which was made some three or four years ago by the
Duke of Beuroan in the House of Lord., and has
been since submitted to their Lordships by Lord
DONOUGHNORE and Lord DARNLEY. The at-
tention of the House of Commons also has beeu
repeatedly drawn to the same subject; but, err.
tautly, in the House of Commons, the state of Ire-
land bus been uniformly associated with the
policy of conceding to the Roman Catholics
the extent of their demands; so that the
great question respecting the genital condition of
the country has been always narrowed into one
which, however important in itself as a matter of
public policy. yet could exercise but • partial
influence upon the destinies of the great mass of
the people of Ireltuld. Parliament, however, con no
longer avoid the consideration of this subject. The
evidences of • vicious system speaking with fire and
blood, and appealing with no less force to our in-
terests than to our feelings, are irresistible. Ireland
can no longer be neglected by the Cabinet of this
country, or sacrificed to indulge the avarice or the
ambition of inefficient or inexperienced Statesmen.
The country has become in effect a portion of this
kingdom. and cannot any longer be farmed out to
a wretched fac►ion for the indulgence of their mis-
chievous passions. Why the meeting at the Thatch-
ed House was called cannot easily be discovered,
but some things dropped from the Gentlemen who
attended at it, which are so different from the system
that is in daily operation among us, that our blood
turned cold in reading them. and we derived from
them some insight into the causes that have given
such n reckless desperation to the conduct of the i
surgents. We find Mr. Douovae, a Gentleman who
boasted the experience of half a cautery, saying,
that "in Ireland justice had never been fairly ad.
ministered among the people; bills of indictment
could either be found or thrown out among them.
just as the party happened to hove private iatere•E
with the Grand Jury. Every man," he said,
" knew that when these Grand Juries in Ireland as-
sembled at the Assizes. presentment jobbing was the
business attended to."

We must confess that we had often before hear.l
of such things. but ever felt mu unwillingness to
believe that in a country possessing, at lewd 111
name, the blessings of the British C0m61116'46
such abuses could exist. Here, however, we hint