The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-27 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, FEB. 27, 1865.

-.0- - -

The condition and prospects of Ireland arc just
now occupying a prominent position. The debate
of Friday evening, which is to be resumed to-night,
will have enabled a good many gentlemen to express
their views respecting the evils and grievances of
Ireland, about which there is not much difference of
opinion, and the means of remedy, regarding which
hardly two men think alike. In the multitude of
councillors there is wisdom, it is said on good
authority, and it is to be hoped that some of our
Parliamentary representatives will be able to pro-
pose some course of action which will commend
itself to prudent legislators. As this, however, is
not so very probable, and as, supposing such wisdom
to be displayed, it is not very likely to find
favour with the Government, it is worth while
to examine the suggestions of a gentleman,
who is evidently familiar with his subject, and who
has just embodied his very sound and practical
opinions in the form of a pamphlet.* Ills remarks
are principally founded upon the very obvious dis-
crepancy bet Ween the natural wealth of Ireland and
her. actual poverty, and he finds the explanation in
some very simple and remediable causes. Sufficient
capital has not, he says, been laid out in Ireland to
make it reproductive, and -while hundreds of
thousands Of Engifsh mbney are annually crossing
the seas for the use and advantage of
foreigners, scarcely a fraction. finds its way
across the narrow channel which separates us
from the sister island. •England,herself would be in
a very different position had she not received the
stimulus of liberal outlay ; but Ireland is suffered to
remain a beautiful and wealthy country, whose
beauty is only admired by the occasional tourist,
whose wealth is left ungathered by her starving
people, and whose landlords content themselves for
the most part with drawing such incomes as they
can get from their estates without much outlay, and
spending it in England. The first and foremost of
ailways. Ile
brit ITE, is r
want in Ireland, says Mr.
points out the wonderful change which has been
effected,in India; in, 'France, and in Spain by the
introduction and extension of the , railway system,
and ,he brings forward I most convincing. argu-
Ments of the truth,. of 'his - anticipations
"4 1 to the development of the
n regarc
Irish railway system.. First comes. the effect on
the fish traffic. The extent and value-of the Irish
fisheriei rave been often spoken of, 'and- they are
of marvellous extent, but while the half-fed popula-
tfon are'mainly dependent on vegetable food, liable
to the caprices of the seasons; this cheap and nutri-
tious food, ready, as one one may say, at their own
doors, has been almost entirely neglected. The
development of the Irish fisheries, too, by means of
railways would •
confer a double advantage,cr since the
fish
Salted might be imported in large quantities to
England, thus opening a remunerative trade to Eng-
land, while it increased the English supply. It seems
from the official report that on the coast of Galway
the herrings are Often _ e _
A-1 as manure, because
the fishermen are too
poor to buy salt at
the proper moment. Much
good was done,
advancing
it is said, by the late Fishing Board
loans to fishermen, and a' great deal of service might
be done in this way. Small piers and harbours
are
wanted on some parts of the coast, which could be
easily established, and any such outlay would
speedily repay, itself. Here, then, is a most profit-
able trade lying waiting for development ; and the
effect which the extension .of railways would have
may be guessed from the fact that the amount of
fish consumed annually in Birmingham in 1827 was
400 tons ; in 1847 it was 5,000 tons, owing to the
introduction of railways. 'By its means fresh fish
ieht be imported in large quantities to the west of

* Letter to Lord Palmerston on the Employment of our
Labour and Capital at Home. By G. Preston White.
Cornish ; High Holborn, and Grafton-street, Dublin.