The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1864.

Mr. IIENNEs37 has at all times shown bimgeif
to be a most energetic po t3C 1117. lie fs not cue of
those lai,lsez alger sort of indi7l:..7uals who rest sati,.
fled with anything so long as they themselves are
left in peac4. Whether he discourses upon the
wr.3IS,S or injuries cf Poland, cr seeks other topics
of interest and importance, he is always energetic
and enthusiastic. On Tuesday last he had a very
congenial subleot on Which to descant, and it Was
a question a!so which i 3 cloce:y connected with the
most vital interests of his own country, and should,
therefore, engage the attention of all who are con-
cerued in the legislation of the British Empire.
Thetete.te and condition of Ireland have for a long
period been sources of anxiety and apprehension to
the Cabinet, the Parliament, and the country gene-
rally. Sir RoDEP.T FEU emphatically declared
that 'lreland wax his clia;ulty." Succeeding

statesmen have felt the same embarrassment, if they
have riot had the candour and courage to own it.
The present Ministry have not been at all happy in
their attempts in this locality, nor did they deserve
to be successful where so many wiser and greater
men had failed before them, for they seem to have
gone out of their way an many occasions to irritate
and annoy the Irish, and that, toff, without any
special cause for interference which could justify
the risk of offending prejudices and provoking ill-
will. The Irish members have often alluded to the
want of courtesy which has been s!_town to them,
and still the same tactics are displayed, their griev-
ances are treated with derision, and their indigna-
tion meets nothing but contempt. In some cases,
indeed, the authorities have gone so hr that they
have had to draw back from their decisions, as in
the instance of the Galway contract, which was
so abruptly terminated, and in a manner
that gave so much offence. They appear, however,
to have gained wisdom from experience in some
degree, for the tone of the debate the other night
was conspicuous for the absence of that ascerbity
and exaggeration so apt to be apparent when Irish
questions are on the tapis. Mr. HENNESSY called
particular attention to the condition of Ireland at
the present time, and especially to the serious evils
that arise from the agricultural population leaving
the country. It is unfortunate that the division on
the point was adverse to the proposal of Mr.
HENNESSY; but it does not by any means follow
that no result will ensue therefrom, for the discus-
sion which was raised upon it has drawn attention
to the subject, and at a future period we may mark
the good efEcts that it has produced. At all events,
no one denied the truth of the hon. member's pre-
mises, if they did not exactly accord with the con-
clusions he drew from them. The fact is that the
unwillingness which is universally felt to making
any changes or alteration in a system is so over-
whelming in its influence, and that unless any spee
cial event or untoward incident calls for steps to be
taken without delay, little or no heed is paid to the
arguments, entreaties, and expostulations of pres-
cient observers or earnest reformers. A private
member can seldom manage to induce the Treasury
benches to listen to him when he proclaims the
wrongs or animadverts upon the injustice which he
has seen, and which imperatively call far a remedy.
If only a portion of Mr. HENNESSY'S recital were
true there would still exist ample grounds for the
enforcement of some remedial change. The emigra-
tion now taking place is greater than at any period
for ten years, and this in itself is a very telling fact
against the efficacy of existing legislation. It must
produce most disastrous effects, and exercise a deice
riorating influence on the welfare of the country,
for .it to be subjected to this constant drain upon its
resources. It has been said—

" 11l fares the land to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay."
If the former allusion does not apply to the prospects
of Ireland, it has the additional drawback of having
to encounter the evil, unmitigated by adventitious
circumstances. The suggestions made by Mr. HEN •
NESSY seem to be worthy of notice. Men will not
stayat home if they see others rusleingabroad,noless
some inducements are offered to them. For this
the proposal to reclaim waste lands is an admirable
one. Sir R. PEEL affirmed that immense quantities
had been appropriated, but there is no reason why
all should not. Another good idea was that public
works should be organised, but this did not seem
to be much thought of. When it is considered,
however, that by this means employment wou!d be
given to vast numbers, and that many restless and
dissatisfied persons would bzcome settled and satis-
fied in their own country, it seems a pity that
nothing should be done, Lord PALMERSTON did
not address himself to the subject wi.h co
much cordiality as Sir ROBERT PEEL. He
seemed rather impatient with the whole thing, and
glad to fall back o-a the resources of his strength to
put down the attempt at interference with legisla-
tion. Lord J. MANNERS very properly said that he
thought the " hon. member for King's County had
met with rather hard measures from the Govern-
ment." The conclusion to be drawn from the
speeches of the Government members who tcok part
in the debate seems to be that great evils undoubtedly
exist in Irelend, and that it would be well if they
could be rectified, but they also seem to imply that
they are not at present prepared to do anything to
improve the state of affairs, and also do not intend
to assist others in the task of reform. Such a course
of action is hardly in unison with the reauirements
of men in their responsible position, and it is not
thus that they will gain the confidence of Ireland
nor the respect of England. They make the grave
mistake of looking upon the subject as an irksome
task they are glad to shirk, and not as a solemn
duty which they are called upon to perform with
the utmost ability and earnestness.

Amid all the changes and chances which die-
anguish one Parliamentary session from another,
some events recur with unvarying pertinacity. Year
by year some subjects are brought up for the mere
sake of reminding the world of their existence.
Year by year they pass through the customary
forms and quietly sink into üblivion for another
twelvemonth. We all know how long this pro
gramme was followed by Mr. Vieuens and his
Anti-Corn Law resolutions, and now Mr. BERKE-
LEY in his advocacy of the Ballot seems to be the
champion of as apparently hopeless a cause. Perhaps
indeed the case of the Ballot is even more desperate
than the
principles of Free Trade ever were, since
the latter was more of a national question on which
men differed as mach from principle and conviction
as from anything else.
The Ballot is a personal
to it, in too many mat ter, and the f
uetvuoerbreeyeetmi ne elections,m ter
in-
stances, arises from a well-founded misgiving as to
its effect upon
Of course we are
not charging
who
friend opposes i 1r ry.
need-
lees BERKELEY'S motion with being 4
and corruption, but there is very Often an undefined
idea that matters are best left as they are, and that
any interference with the existing system is d
.
lees and undesirable. Yet ro one pretends that
by our present course we can boast of securing the
purity of election. No one is sanguine or simple
enough to believe that the whole expense of an
election lies in the regular fees. No one supposes
that no more money changes hands than is abso-
lutely necessary, or that interest and influence,
that patrons,employers, and landlords have no share
in the matter. Pocket boroughs were not all dis,
franchised in 1832, although ono of the great
leaders of that day now tells his followers ".o rest
and be thankful." But a general who desires his
forces to sit down when the battle is half won,
does not inspire much confidence in his own troop,
nor does he strike much terror into the hearts of
his enemies, especially when a very important part
of the work remained to be done. Mr. BERKELEY,
who, in consideration of the approaching election
broke through his usual rule and addressed the
House, referred
to this farizus aphorism. He said
the noble lord had a right to call upon them to be
thankful for his exertions, but when he told all
other reformers to sit still the advice savoured of
absurdity. Were there, then, asked the hon. mem-
ber, no abuses to redress, no evils to get rid of ? Had
England become Utopian ? According to the ace
count given by Mr. .--RRI: EELEY, eelreh there is no
reason to think evggerattd, it is very like the