The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-12 00:00:00

with Meath. The laud in Meath is, besides, of higher esti-
mated value than that of Down. Yet there were in Down
In 1831, 3.52,000 inhabitants, while in Meath there were only
177,000; that is to say, Meath had one half the inhabitants
of Down, though it is larger and considerably more fertile than
that county. In the time of Primate Boulter, or above a
century ago, the mania of emigration was more Frevalsnt
than it has been known at any period of Irish history ;
and yet the population , at that period was six mil-
lions less than its present amount. The people then
thought that they would be starved if they remained in
the land of their fathers. Yet we see it has been
proved by experience that it was practicable to quadruple their
numbers, without the opening of any new means of existence
I than the still undeveloped resources of Ireland. In 1819 the
opinion of Mr. Nimmo received the sanction of a Parliamen-
tary Committee—that the reclaiming of the wastes of Ireland
would provide for an additional agricultural population of two
millions. In the same year the same Parliamentary Commit-
tee declared it as their opinion, that there is an " immense
amount of land in Ireland easily reclaimable, and convertible
to the production of grain, without limit, for exportation."
Under these circumstances, your Committee can have no diffi-
culty in coming to the conclusion, that Ireland is not yet
thrown upon whatever resource emigration may supply, and
that its territory should not be taxed to sustain any enlarged
or systematic exportation of its inhabitants to the British
Colonies. Judging by the increase of population in latter
years, it would require emigration to the extent of a hun-
dred thousand souls annually, to keep down the numbers
to the present amount, and the allegation is, that even now the
inhabitants of the country are far too numerous. To ship off
100,000 inhabitants a year, could not require an expenditure
short of 800,0001. to 1,000,000/. sterling annually. Your
Committee would hesitate to approve of an outlay to that
amount, or any considerable amount derivable solely from the
resources of Ireland, subject as they are to a perpetual drain
from absentee rents and remittances to the British exchequer.
If there were to be no other consideration than that, it would
be placed under the control of a single officer commissioner,
as is proposed by a board wholly English, and little acquainted
with the circumstances of Ireland. But your Committee, feel-
ing and knowing that there are still means of providing for
additional agricultural population of 2,000,000, by a reclama-
tion of waste lands alone, and being fully convinced that the
Parliamentary Committee of 1819, were perfectly justifiable
in their estimate of the " immense" amount of land in Ireland,
convertible to the production of grain for exportation, can-
not admit that under any management, or by means of
any funds derivable solely front Ireland, any enlarged or
method.scd plan of emigration, could with utility or justice be
carried into effect. If millions are to be raised on the rates of
Ireland, to provide newliications for the poor, your Committee
would recommend that they should be applied, not to the re-
clamation of wastes abroad, but the reclamation of wastes at
home. Of emigration considered with reference to its effect
on the increase of population, your Committ,:e hold opinions
different from those manifestly entertained by the school of
economists, front which this bill in the major part of its pro-
visions, has emanated, and who will, according to present
appearances, be the persons chiefly employed in giving it
effect. If 100,000 souls had in every year for the
last ten years been shipped off from Ireland, at the
cost of 1,000,0001. each year, your Committee doubt
much, whether there would be now one human being
less in the country, notwithstanding the expenditure of
10,000,000/. sterling on the process. Emigration in certain
circumstances only operates, as your Committee believes, in
stimulating population. It is a curious and instructive fact of
Spanish history that in the original rush of the population to
South America these provinces, such as Cantabria, Navarra,
Asturias, and the Mountains of Burgos, from which the greatest
numbers emigrated, remained still the most populous, and af-
forded the best opportunities of recruiting the armies.
The 4Sth Section prohibits the application of money raised
under the Act to the relief of the destitute poor in any other
manner than that expressly mentioned in it—that is, in any
other way than that provided by a workhouse. Your Com-
mittee are of opinion that it is not expedient to confine relief to
the workhouse in all seasons and circumstances. They would
recommend a discretionary power to be conferred on the
Guardians ; at least for the seasons of the year in which die-
tress is most prevalent, or to be exercised with reference to
the sick, or to the extent of granting to each individual, being
the head of a family, a limited succour in food or money.
The 67th to the 74th sections inclusive refer to the rates under
the Bill, and the proportion in which they shall affect all per-
sons connected with rateable tenements,. The 69th section
exempts all persons whose rent shall not exceed a/. Your
Committee are of opinion that the seeming indulgence ex-
tended to these persons will in practice be nugatory, and
that if it were not so, it would be inexpedient on
the grounds of that public policy which seeks to
lighten fiscal burthens by spreading them over as great a por-
tion of society as possible. Occupiers, your Committee
think, are entitled to a great indulgence, by reason of the
rents to which they are generally subject in Ireland, and the
employment which is derivable solely from their iudustry and
outlay. By the 70th section, all occupiers save those whose
rent is under 5/., are subjected to one. ,elf the proposed rate,
whether their holding be profitable or unprofitable. By the
same section they are rendered liable to twice the rite of the
owner of the soil, though their interest may be only half his
interest. Supposing a tenement to he let for 1001. a year,
and to be worth to the occupant :sOl. more, by reason of capital
expended, and to be subject altogether to 121. a year poor-rates,
the occupant's share of the burthen would be in the first
place 6/. as occupier, and secondly, 2/. more, lse ins the same
(according to the wording of the section) which bears " to
one-half the rate paid by him;the same proportion as the rent
paid by him bears to the nett annual value." This your
Committee cannot but pronounce monstrously unjust. Your
Committee are of opinion that all occupiers having no interest,
that is holding at rack rents, are equitably entitled to a total
exemption from rates, and that the burden should as much as
possible be thrown upon the rents and upon the landlords.
The 74th section is a very important one. It is to be observed
that the occupier is to be the payer of the whole rate in the first
instanu. It is proposed to permit him to deduct portions of it sub-
equently from the rent claimable by the landlord. This 74th
section contains a provision that he shall be entitled to no de-
ductioneexeept the residue of the gale of rent next accruing
due after the time of payment of the rate be first paid. If the
rate become payable on the 26th of March, no landlord need
suffer a shilling of it to be deducted until the payment of the
last farthing of the residue of the next September gale. The
hanging gale therefore must be paid, and all arrears of rent
paid, and a gale still to become due paid before an occupier
can be entitled, under this clause of the Act, to deduct one
shilling of a rate already advanced from his rent. Your Com-
mittee submit that in a country in which there is generally en
outstanding gale, and in which an usual habit of the pro-
prietary has been since the war not to give the tenant relief in
the form of a specified reduction of his rent, but by suffer-
ing arrears to accumulate from year to year, this must be
a source of great hardship, and in many instances of op-
pression, In the same section mortgagers are altogether
exempted from the payment of any portion of the rate. This
your Committee eannot but regard as unjust towards the land-
lords, who aro supposed to pay over to that class of persons
three taillions a year, or about one-third of the entire annual
rental of Ireland. The framers of this Bill regard it as a
measure of police, and assume that it will be contributory to
the general advancement of Ireland. Viewing it in this light,
your Committee cannot see with what consistency they
exempt from its burthens a body of persons, the value of
whose great stake in the country must share in its vicis-
situdes, wheths4 they be for good or evil ; at the same time
your Committee cannot conceal from themselves the ex-
treme difficulty of making such an arrangement for the taxa-
tion of mortgagees as shall not create a stimulant to that class
of persons to call in the mortgage money at a point, par-
ticularly when from the operation of the Poor-law it would be
most difficult to find other persons disposed to lend their ca-
pital upon such a taxed security, and that thus ruin may be
produced to a great extent amongst the Irish landed pro-
prietors.

Mr. O'CONNELL rose to move the adoption of the report'; it
was admirably written. It pointed out every thing dangerous
and bad in the intended measure. They were to recollect that
it was drawn up by Mr Staunton, a gentleman who had paid
the deepest attention to the subject, and who, though favour-
able to the principle, saw all the errors of the intended mea-
sure. He (Mr. O'Connell) thought he had been badly
treated in this measure. The promoters of the Bill had
given up their own projoets. He had pointed out these
errors to them, but the answer he got was that he
had been opposed to them.—( Hear, bear.) He was then
against the Bill which threw upon the poor occupier the bur-
then which the landlord should bear. This Bill taxed the
men who are at home employing the people, and spares the
absentees who carry their rent out of the country. This was
a bonus upon absenteeism. Every friend of Ireland wished
for a tax upon absentees, but the Government were going to
give us a tax upon residents.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. Nicholl
says 31.2,000/. will pay all the expense of a Poor Law, though
in fact, twice, or three times the number of persons ho calcu-
lated upon would have to be provided. for. He (Mr. O'C.)
would assert it would require at least 1,000,0001. to meet the
expenses—wero the occupiers in Ireland rich enough to spare
another million ? He was unable to amend the Bill in the House
of Commons, for the Ministers would not listen to him.
--(Hear, hear.) He would declare it there solemnly,
that it was vain to hope that the Bill would be improved
in Parliament, unless the people universally petitioned ;
and to effect this he would move that Mr. Ray should
be instructed to send a copy of the Weekly Register, or
Weekly Freeman—to every parish priest In Ireland—to show
them what sort of a Bill it was. The Poor-law Commis-
sioners would have a greater power over property than the
owner himself. He also objected to excluding the Clergy
from being Guardians. It was a fallacy to suppose that the
Catholic and Protestant Clergy could not co-operate in works
of charity. In the Alendicity in Dublin they had been work-
ing together for years in the best spirit, a:ld that they would
mike the best possibli_! Guardians of the Poor he was convinced.
The relief given by the Bill was the smallest possible. Hus---
band and wife were separated, and each cf them were shut up
iv, a priton, and this was called relief. It W 43 purely a penal
separation, too, adopted to prevent people from availing them-
selves of the measure. It had teen, said that relief out of
workhouses would bring on the evils of the old English sys-
tem„-solt would hut it would still, be better than the pro,
poked a717-iylorti, At present the farmers, it was true, sttpy,o:ted
the 17: chor, but they supported them in kind, whi,cla-they were
able to give out of their own additipnal, labourS: Taking it
in money would bo so much oC a pecuniary outlay, while the
present mode 4earcely felt. Forced taxes for. the
Im.9N "*.ro,Yed voluntary efmrity, too, the wy moment Ciey
sere, levied. People satisfied theui\selvc\s wiith giving what
ttliey, were forced to g:iycl, kb,K. Imisexable Cold improved
subsistence tc‘, A c\". o the p,..por this burden wes then to be
tthe people of Ireland. To the really destitute he
would give relief, and to those suffering under anoli r
disease he would also give relief, because no man would break