The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-28 00:00:00

of Dublin of offences against the law, and especially
of ,the graver offences. I will only refer to one
other matter in connection with this sul ject—l
mean the poverty of the country. .Alttic ugh there
are some spots where great poverty exi3t.9, yet upon
the whole the number of paupers re'ievt d out of the
poor rates during the last three months of winter
that have just passed have considerably decreased
as compared with the corresponding period of the
previous year. Now, these are facts which indicate
progress and improvement ; but, undoubtedly, there
is another side to the picture. The prosperity of
Ireland, it must be admitted, is a thing still to be
wished for and to be worked for rather than to be
enjoyed and admired. (Hear, hear.) There is
staring us in the face this paramount fact, the para-
mount feature of these times, one which every man
who would understand the condition of the country
must take into account. I mean the vast emigration
of the people from Ireland. Now any man who has
not formed an opinion on that subject cannot be
held to have any sound or just views of the state of
the country, and while I regret that the labouring
classes of this country should find it more for their
advantage to leave their native home thal to re-
main at home ; deeply as I regret that they should
carry with them, as I fear they too often do, across
the Atlantic feelings of discontent against the Go-
vernment under whichthey had lived, feelings which
may influence to some extent the great Republic
at the other side of the Atlantic—deeply as I re-
gret this, yet I am convinced that no measures
however desirable, for giving increased employ-
ment to them at home, and increasing the re-
sources of the country, could place the prosperity
of the country on a sound and just basis unless it
were accompanied by the emigration. My Lord
Mayor—Let me remind you of the fact that wages
in this country—the remuneration of labour—have
been low, and are still low, and people will go to,
those countries where they will receive a higher re-
muneration for their labour, and no man can blame
them for so going, and no wise man will wish them
to remain when they can obtain in another greater
comfort and greater prosperity. `(Hear, hear.) I
might tell you that there is a slight diminution in
the emigration of the past year as compared with
that of the year before ; but let me entreat you to
take this fact into consideration, that emigration,
though on a larger scale in Ireland than in other
countries, is not 'peculiar to this country. (Hear.)
If you will look to the position of other agricultural
countries, you will find that the same thing more or
less predominates. I would wish you to take into
account this strong fact. In the distant part of
England with which I am especially connected, and
whose district swarms with agriculturists, the last
census shows this remarkable state of things, that
whereas a great increase of the population of Eng-
land and Wales had taken place, a great diminution
had taken place in the agricultural districts. And
why was this ? Because the wages are exceedingly
low. They only earned about 9s. a week, which at
this moment is point out to you what an advantage
the increase of that manufacture has been to the
agriculture of the country, when I state to you the
great augmentation of flax which has recently taken
place. Last year there under cultivation in Ireland
300,000 acres of flax, as compared with less than
100,000 acres in 1858. Remembering how the im-
provement of one industry acts upon another, we
may look upon the increase in manufacturing indus-
try as a great benefit and improvement to the whole
country. (Hear, hear.) That is only one branch.
Another is the woollen manufacture. The woollen
manufacture, too, has been graduallylifting its head.
The number of mills for woollen manufactures has
increased, I am told, during the last five years from
9to 48. (Hear, hear.) This is a small, but still it
is a sensible increase, and I will undertake to say
that, whereas there was a time when, to our shame
be it spoken, we in England wished to retard wool-
len manufactures in Ireland, there is no Englishman
now but will rejoice to hear of the prosperity of the
woollen manufacture, There are other branches of
industry which I might refer to, but I will only
glance ;at one, and that is a very remarkable pro-
duction—l mean the production of porter, which
has been carried on with such immense success by
one of the most distinuished citizens of the metro-
polis. (Hear, hear.) I associate the name of Mr.
B. L. Guinness with the manufacture of porter.
Let almost as low as in some parts of Ireland, and
the people have gone where they will obtain a bet-
ter remuneration for their labour, and bygoing they
have benefited themselves and they have benefited
the class remaining. This cannot be attributed to
any want of improvement of the land, for no land
could be better cultivated than that in the portion
of the country with which I am connected. It can-
not be ascribed to any bad feeling between land-
lord and tenant, for I will venture to say there is no
part of the world where a better feeling exists be-
tween the landlord and the tenant. It cannot arise
from the condition of the labouring classes, for in
no place have greater efforts been made to improve
their condition, but it results from this, that they
who go obey the economic law of offering their labour
to the best market. Far be it from me to shut out
from consideration the duty of endeavouring to stop
this emigration by opening new sources of employ-
ment for the people, for I feel that if we don't use
the advantages which Providence has, as it were,
placed within our grasp, a great opportunity may
escape us of enabling the people of Ireland to en-
joy that more contented prosperity which they de-
serve. Now, lam greatly struck and much rejoiced
to find that so much attention has been turned,
espcially here in Dublin, to the subject of manu-
factures. (Hear, hear.) The Lord Mayor has re-
ferred to the vast increase of the linen manufacture,
which is so well known to all that I need not en-
large upon it ; but I would for a moment point out
to you the great increase of imports. You have in-
creased your trade in Dublin, and I heard a few
days ago, that the Custom-house officers were so
very hard worked that they would have to apply for
help, and the increase of spirits, wine, and tobacco,
which are luxuries to a great extent, has been con-
siderable. During the last 20 years Mr. Guinness
has extended extensively the porter trade, and,
whilst he exports from Dublin large quantities, there
is a great increase of imports. I take this opportu-
nity
of congratulating the city of Dublin on the
noble work of the restoration of St. Patrick's Cathe-
dral, which is now almost completed, and which is
shortly to be brought to such an excellent termina-
tion. Mr. Guinness will permit me to say that he
has instituted an example of munificence which con-
fers the highest honour upon the city to which he
belongs, and when we see the accumulation of great
wealth accompanied by so generous and disinterested
a use to benefit society, we know that the accumu-
lation of that wealth will tend to the benefit of our
city. I am looking forward to the moment in the
coming year—l think it would be unwise, indeed,
if I were to attempt any prediction—when the Ex-
hibition will be inaugurated We know very well
how the hopes of those were cast aside who pre-
dicted for the Exhibition of 1851 that it would in-
augurate a year of peace. We have reaso n now to
congratulate ourselves upon the peaceful prospects
of our country. We are, happily, exempt from any
foreign quarrels, and I think we may finally hope
that your Exhibition will take place during a time
of peace, tranquillity, and harmony, and that the
display of arts and industries will .be one which will
make this year memorable in tho annals of the city
of Dublin. (Loud applause.)
_ _ _

Speeches were afterwards delivered by Mr. White-
side, Judge Keogh, Mr. I. F,utt, the Earl of Clan-
carty, the city members, artcl others. The company
did not separate until past / a.m.

Mos-
cow Gazette publishes a pat tea
regard to Po-
landwith
RUSSIAN POLICY TOWARD s. 1;
reviewoL A N POLAND.—The
in which the following passage
conciliation between us
along-
side that of Russia, and thus tins —ofilthee Myearos:
:—" Polish nationality can. uc.o:chuarsvet an existence
and the Poles is a matter of impot laibili-Y•
of new and
made to the Poles would simply 1. )O a fiOnree
to Po-
direful misfortune to the two countries. In fairness
ver, and their
land we desire to destroy these illusions for' e • --,
effect a fusion with the Russian narionality, concessions
dreams of national independence. FOlish nat tonality shoulde_
the interior peace of the empire,
tution of Russia, win Ts. •..-
- "ul3ossib. le to her. 'rile religious
side of the Polish question is afa r different affair. Reman
Catholicism may subsist and eve? a flourish alongside of our
a' ad even thevithsolioudt
Church. Good policy points out to our government that it
cwonhistih-
should keep political interests entirel se
ligious interests 41 the Polie4 C y parated from re-
luedion.,