The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-22 00:00:00

No. 14.153.

SALES BY AUCTION.

WITH WHICH THE " TRUE SUN'

FREEHOLD, COPYHOLD, AND LEASEHOLD
INVESTMENTS.
rrioPLis and SON have received instructions
_ from the Trustees to SUBMIT by AUCTION, at the
Auction Mart, on WEDNENDA T, Jan. 24, at Twelve, in Nine Lots,
the late PROPERTY of J. Ricketts Esq., deceased; comprising,
A LEASEHOLD GROUND RENT of Twelve Pounds per
annum, arising from Louses in Gibraltar-row, St, George's-road,
Southwark.
A LEASEHOLD GROUND RENT of Fifty Pounds, derivable
from premises in Banner-street, St. Luke's.
THE LEASEHOLD LIQUOR VAULTS and BOOKING
OFFICE, the Magpie and Stump, Newgate-street, let for the
whole term.
A COPYHOLD PUBLIC HOUSE, the Anchor and Hope,
Brook-street, Ratcliffe.
SIX COPYHOLD DWELLINGS, with Shops, at Bow, Mid-
dlesex, nearly opposite the Church.
A COPYHOLD ESTATE of Nine Houses in Great Suffolk-
street, Blackfriars-road.
TWO FREEHOLD HOUSES, Noo. 2 and 3, Cushion-court,
Old Broad-street, City.
A FREEHOLD GROUND RENT of Forty-two Pounds per
annum, secured on honsos in Birdcage-walk, Hackney-road, near
he Nag's Head. Also,
FREEHOLD LAND, with Gardener's Cottage, at Foot's Cray,
in Kent, opposite the Turnpike.
May be viewed, by leave of the respective tenants ; and parti-
culars had of John Finch, jun., Esq., Lombard-street Chambers,
Clement's-lane ; J. W. J. Dawson, Esq., 7, Charlotte-street,
Bloomsbury ; of Robert Skynner, Esq., 4e, Mortimer-street, Ca-
vendish-square ; at the Mart ; and of the Auctioneers, le, St.
Paul's Church-yard.

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LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 22, 1838.

PUBLICATIONS.

MAP OF INDlA—Corrected to 1838.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

A.N IMPROVED MAP of INDIA, compiled
from the latest documents, with Corrections to IS3S, on
one large sheet ; price 18s. on cloth, in a case, or with rollers,
1/. ss. ; with rollers, varnished, 11. 9s.
London : Wm. 11. Allen and Co., 7, Leadenball-street.

( From the Hernpshire Telegraph.)
PORTSMOTII, JAN. 20.—The following ships were al
Malta on the 29th ult.:—The Princess Charlotte, 104, bear-
in;f the flag of Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford
Carlon, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs,
Raney, 92; Vanguard, 80; Russell, 74; Portland, 52;
Tribune, 24; cutters Magpie and Hind ; steamer Confiance;
steam packets Blazer and Volcano; her Majesty's transport
Jupiter; the Austrian sloop of war Adria, and brig of war
Monteuccoli; and French steam-packet Scamandre, the
Beacon and Rhadamanthus. The Jupiter had conveyed to
that island the 77th Regimen from Cork, with detachments of
other regiments.
By the arrival of the ship Thetis from Rio de Janeiro. we
learn that all matters were quiet in that neighbourhood on her
departure. The Sparrow ketch, Lieut. Lowcay, had arrived
out from Portsmouth. The Actaeon, 26, Captain Lord E.
Rus,-,ell, was daily expected at Rio from the Pacific, with trea-
sure for England.
The Scylla, 18, arrived at Lisbon on the Bth inst.
The Wasp, 18, Hon. Commander Pelham, will go out of
harbour to-morrow, and will proceed for the Mediterranean
about Wednesday, most probably calling at Lisbon with des-
patches.
The Partridge, 10 guns, was commissioned on Monday last
by Lieut. W. Morris (b); and on Thursday the Nautilus, 10
guns, was commissioned by Lieut. G. Beaufoy.
The Owen Glendower yacht, Major John Hall, left Gibral-
tar for St. Lucar on the 3d inst. ; the Fanny cutter yacht,
T. P. Halsey, Esq.. left Gibraltar for Malta on the 30th ult.
The ship Larkins, for Madras and Bengal, left Spithead on
Tuesday for her destination. The ship Duke of Northum-
berland, for Madras and Bengal, and the Bolton, for Bengal
direct, on Wednesday. The Claudine, for Madras, sailed
this morning.
IN Hartnotne —Britannia, Victory, Excellent, Royal George,
Electra, Wasp, Pantaloon, Partridge, Nautilus, Brisk, Sea-
flower cutter, and Sovereign transport.
PkOMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.--Lieutenant G. Elliot
(1834), of Actaeon, to the rank of Commander; Messrs. Fitz-
james and Charlewood, Mates of Excellent, whose spiiited
and talented conduct in the Euphrates expedition richly en-
title them to their promotion, to the rank of Lieutenant ; Sir
John Louis, Bart., Superintendaet of Malta dockyard ; Capt.
Hornby to be Superintendent of Woolwich yard;
Lieutenant Sydenham Wyle vice Porter, and Matthew Co:nbe
vice Cowley, to Coast Guard; Mr. John Moolinburgh Min-
ster, and Charles Ritchie Kinnear, Assistant-Surgeons to the
Royal Adelaide; Mr. .J. S. Williams, Assistant-Surgeon to
Espoir ; Mr. Elkins, Purser, from Racer to Cornwallis ;
Mr. D. H. M'Neil, Mate, to Lynx; Mr. H. Brehaut, Second
Master and Pilot, David T. Clow, Clerk-in-charge, and H.
Wilmot, Gunner, to Nautilus; Mr. John Frodham, Gunner,
to Partridge ; Mr. G. P. Rickcord, Additional Clerk to
Princess Charlotte ; Mr. W. Yeames and W. Benson,
Ma=t. Cs Assistant, to Victory.
(From the Hampshire Independent.)
The Clementine, Brain, from Nevtport, bound to London,
got on shore on the 13th of January at the back of the Wight,
but came off with the tide—is now in Cowes harbour, but has
not riceived any damage.
The Board of Ordnance has given notice that tenders will
be received for supplying 2,000 shells to be delivered in the
ho: test time possible.
.joys Head and Sir James John Hamilton, with several
other officers, arc gOing out by the Ontario, American packet-
ship, which is expected to arrive here this evening (Friday) to
join the army in Canada.
CADIZ, JAN. 3.—The Queen Victoria, Haugh, from Lon-
don for Nassau and Havannah, put into this port yesterday
with:damage to her rigging, having been in contact with her
Majesty's ship Spey.
A tine Dutch ship of 700 tons, called the Queen of the Ne-
therlands, Spies, master, has taken shelter in this harbour.
She is 115 days from Batavia, bound to Rotterdam, and has
encountered very bad weather—got up Channel as high as
Seaford, but was compelled to put back, having lost bulwarks,
stancheons, &c. She will be obliged to remain here until the
Masse is navigable.
(From the Devonport Independent.)
PLIMOUTII, JAN. 20.—The Malabar, 74, is fitting for the
reception of troops, and will be ready next week. It is ex-
pected she will take out the Ist Royals from the Garrison to
Canada.

COOKERY.
Published this day,

I.THE COOK'S ORACLE
A New Edition.

11. Mrs. DALGAIRN'S COOKERY. A New Edition.
Robert Cadell, Edinburgh ; Whittaker and Co., London, and all
Booksellers.

FOR SCHOOLS.

Just published, prise is.,
THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND, VOL. I.
(To be completed in Two Volumes.)
By THOMAS KEIGHTLEY.

"It seems from-its compactness and mode of execution to be ad-
mirably fitted for the higher classes in large Schools. It is hoped
it may have an extensive sale among them, as the tone in which it
is written cannot fail to do good."—British Magazine.
By the Same Author,
The HISTORY of GREECE. Second Edition, price 6s. 6d.
The HISTORY of ROME. Second Edition, price 6s. 6d.
Longman and Co., Paternoster-row.

This day was published, in one vol. Bvo., cloth lettered, price Bs.,
TliE ALTERNATIVE;
DISEASE AND PREMATURE DEATH;
er, HEALTH and LONG LIFE ;
being an exposure of the prevailing misconception of their respec-
tive sources, and showing " what is" and " what is not" according
to those laws which can alone insure sound health and length of life.
By JOEL PINNEY, Esq.
S. Highley, 32, Fleet-street.

CITY ROAD.
MR. S. COTTLE is instructed by the Executers
of the late N. Jourdam, Esq., to offer by AUCTION, on
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, and following Day, at Eleven for Twelve
each Day, on the Premises, No. 4, York-place, City-road, the
excellent FURNITURE, in rosewood and mahogany, sideboard of
1,500 ounces of modern plate, gold musical snuff-box, four beauti-
ful antique marble busts, upright grand pianoforte, by Messrs.
l3roadwood, seraphine, a few choice original pictures, by Sir P.
Lely, and others, fine cll.-ravings, large-size brilliant plate chimney
glasses, cellar of rare old wines, beautiful ormolu clock, elegant
foreign china, long dinner and dessert services, rich cut glass,
bronze and cut glass chandeliers, wardrobe of fine linen, pair of
24-inch globes, a bracket clock, elegant bedsteads, wardrobes,
dining-tables, rosewood suite, a variety of well-manufactured cabi-
net furniture, and miscellaneous property.
May be viewed on Tuesday and morning of Sale, and Catalogues
had on the Premises ; at Garraway's ; at the Cock, Holloway ; the
Archway Tavern, Highgate ; of Messrs. Lewis and Lewis, Solici-
tors, Ely-place ; and of Mr. S. Cottle, auctioneer, &c., No. 45
Holborn-hill. ,

Price 3s. cloth,
LATIN HOMONYMS ; or a Collection of
1,500 Words in the Latin Language, similar in sound, but
different in sense ; arranged alphabetically with their respective
meanings, quantities, and derivations ; and illustrated by Examples
from the Classics : with Notes.

By THOMAS SWINBURNE CARR, Esq.,
Author of the " Manual of Roman Antiquities," and Classical
Master in King's College School.
" As a book for reference or inspection, it is highly useful to all
Latinists. "_Spectator.
Schloss, 42, Great Russell-street, British Museum.

THE LONDON AND WESTMINSTER
REVIEW, No. 55, will be published on Saturday next,
CONTAINING:--
1. Caricatures—Gillray, H.B.
2. Sir Walter Scott.
3. Dr. Arnott on Ventilating and Warming.
•
4. Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra.
5. French and English Rural Life.
6. The Duke of Wellington.
7. Miss Martineau's Western Travel.
8. The Radical Party, and Canada.
Henry Hooper, 13, Pall-mall East, London ; Adam and Charles
Black, Edinburgh.

CUVIEIt'S NATURAL HISTORY,
WITH EIGHT HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS,
IN SIXTEEN VOLUMES,
The ONLY Complete Modern NATURAL HISTORY in the
LANGUAGE.
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM,
Described and arranged in conformity with its organization,
By the Late BARON CUVIER.
Translated, with Large Additional Descriptions of all the Species
hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, and with other
original matter, by E. GRIFFITH, F.A.S., Lieutenant-Colo-
nel C. HAMILTON SMITH, F.R.S., E. PIDGEON, J. E.
GRAY, F.R.S., and others.
Demy Byo
Royal Svo., coloured el 12 0
Demy 4t0., India proof .
Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria-lane.

Prise One Shilling.
To be held of the Author, 54, Greek-street, Soho ; and Strange,
21, Paternoster-row, a New Work, entitled,
AFEW -WORDS on GONORRHCEA and its
Consequences, together with a " Few Hints' for its Pre-
vention and Cure ; illustrated by interesting Cases, and supported
by Testimonials, bearing witness to the efficacy of his system.
By J. GORDON.
Proprietor of
GORDON'S SPECIFIC MIXTURE, the most certain and
speedy cure fur GONORRHCEA, Glee* acid all Urethral Dis-
charges.

In all
1&3e6, the mixture alone if used in oonforrnity to the di-
rections on each bottle, will never fail of success, and may be
taken with perfect safety by the most delicate of both sexes with-
out inducing naueeau and loss of appetite usually complained of in
other Medicines ; and, moreover, at less expense, being sold in
pint and half-pint bottles, 4is. 6d. and 24. 9d. each, in the most
inveterate eases seldom requiring more than two of the former to
effect a etre.

Prepared only by Gordon aid Co., 54, Greek-street, Sohn ; also
to be had of their Agents : —Barclay and Sons, Edwards, T. Butler,
and all Wholesale Venders ; Sanger ; Hannay, Oxford-street ;
Heudebourek, Holborn ; Rowe, Farringdon-street ; Stradling,
Royal Exchange ; Johnston ; White, Cornhill ; Prout. Strand-;
Keith, Piccadilly ; Joseph and Co., Long-acre ; and all Venders
of Patent Medicines.

THE MARKETS.

COUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING LAST

Per Quarter.
Hexham---
Morpeth
Penrith
Sheltie
Winchester --.....
Per Bushel.
Carmarthen
Cowbridge—
Sewcastle (Staff.)
isTorthallerton
Stott
Swansea
Warwick
Per Poll.
Barnardeustle
Durham --
Richmond
Stockton —.—.

Wheat. ; Barley. ; Oats.

R. I. S. S. to A.
62 I 31 —.
54 70 129 35
46 1 28 32
62 1 30
53 — 32
52 601 28 53
5.4. /. 4. 6. tl. F.I.
3 9 7 4 3 6 40.
70 7 6 3 6 •i;
0 7 9 3 6 40!
6 • 7 3 3 6 4 tij
80 8 6 40. 4S,
5R 70 36 40j
98 110 30 46'j

13Q 160 A 6
12 0 14 0 7 0
13 • 17 0 7 0
3.10 146 88

S. t. S.

2
22 30

Bal".

—• 10
24 28
v. 41. s. d.
30 40
2O 3
3 3 S;
3 3 40
2 34
23 2
20 ace

s, s
41

33 :4;

i 4 1 P 1
i 3 7 9 '
50 50
50 6 0

44
,ft
tie no
Si so
50 53
GC
GO 67
Of 60
Si it)

9 0 111
19 0 11
9 O. 11 (1
7R 8c

Pea,e.

te a.
!ID

:34 28

S 7 40
s. la. S. d
C t,
•* (p
ti c
9 g
•® ••
0 •(+
•9 •o
7 C jj 0
9ti 9;
9tl p
tjo

-----
WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET --.L.n. 30
VrAeat, Red, Norfolk and Suffhlk —r„ 503. to—s. fine sis.
Lila. and Cam.
-- Yorkshire s. —l. to 50% fine 51s.
- Waite . -s. 5•2 a. to 50s. tine 60e,
Foreign, fled —s. —s. to —a, fine _..s,
White —s. —s. to —s one —s.
Barley, Norfolk and Suffolk
-- Lincolnshire
—. Yorkshire Wold .
Foreign
Beans, Small 3k to Ms. fine 38..
----- Tick ..., Mts. to S:is. line 3Ss
Oats, Potato 22, to 245. fine 26,..
-- Poland —s. 225. to 23s tine 30,
.---- Friezland and Small
Mealing
Shulling
Malt —s. 365. fine 40, per l,oad.
Rapeseed

Per Quar,ei
Wheat, White

The Hercules, 74, Captain Nicolas, arrived on Tue3day
from Lisbon, and came into harbour on Thursday to have her
defects made good and her lower deck guns taken out. After
which she will proceed to Cork, to embark troops for Canada.
The Blonde, 46, is to be brought forward for commissioning
at Portsmouth.

It. is said that Captain Hyde Parker has consented to accept
the situati&n of Captain Superintendent of Woolwich Dock-
yard, and that Captain Mends, of the Talavera, 74, will suc-
ceed him in command of the Rodney, 92.
The Bellerophon, 80, Capt. S. Jackson, C. 8., may be very
shortly expected home from the Mediterranean, having sailed
from Malta on the 9th of December. Immediately on her
arrival, Capt. Jackson, will give up the command, and proceed
to Pembroke Dock Yard, to assume the duty of Captain Su-
several large
commissionliately on the re-assemlal-
spieliropi::,tdeietnrdbseeatiiritle,gdvuiacnieldyeCrisuotmookobdeyd,thdfaeotcreimatsomede
ing of Parliament, six line-of-battle ships will be added to the
effective force of the navy. It is expected that the Revenge
78, and Ajax, 74, will be commissioned at Portsmouth, and
four more at the other ports.
Lord Henry Russell has been compelled to retire from the
Naval service for the present, in consequence of his recent ac-
cident.
In Harbour—Royal Adelaide, San Josef, Hercules, Lily,
Racehorse, Espoir, and Mutine packet.
In I3arnpool—Blitomart.—ln the Sound—Alligator.

Red ...

Barley

POOR LAWS-IRELAND.

LEWES A RKE I.—Jan .
s. d. to s. d. Per Quart
sfi Q 53 0 Oats
~.. 11 0 54 W Pease
32 fi 33 6 I Oil Cako...lli

SCOTCH MARKETS.

ter. L. A. to a d.
18 G :21 11
32 0 31
1. ts. per l'hous...md.

Aberdeen
lierwick
Coldstream

Wheat. I Barley.

Oatk.

Cupar (Fife
Dundee
Elgin
Invernesz
Kelso . ,

36 to 40 22 to 25 15 to 19
SS 42 18 21 Is 21
al S.I; 21 24 IS IS '
48 56 20 S 1 IS 23 '
48 58 30 3:3 20 25
46 36 24 *2 17 21
40 44 t2e4 30 20 22
36 4S 17 21 14 21
37 42 23 31 2U 23
50 :Ai 23 2ii 20 22
:tit of the measure varies throught
.o-

Kirkaldy

Fe:th
Tha siz

We haul a very
rather quick.

;DINEURI
largo suppl:

'H CORN
of all kind!

NARKS
1 of Grain t,

TO DANIEL O'CONNELI„ ESQ, M.P.

Bean, Oatmeal.

to

-
I Wheat. Earley.
I First ti3s, Od. 32s 6d.

3! to 33
33

Oats.
22s Bd.

27 28
22 2i; 1 --
30 31
'23 3Y I_
82 n 3 I 1'
2111
45 43
22 25 {—
rat
the etmlitry.

17.
day, and th

Pemse.
365. 01 I
39 fl
311 I) !
1(ia; 31.

BATH, JAN. IS, 1838.
sin,-1 have lately seen in the True Sun of the 20th ult.
of yours upon the New Poor Law proposed for Ire-
land. in
this letter your first observation is that Poor Laws
atlwedtiitlernecessarilyln create a heavy charge upon property which
can never be remitted." I ask, why should it ever be remitted ?
Charity
is a duty which belongs to Governments as well as to
individuals—neither should allow the destitute to starve, and
when the possessors of property in Ireland have for ages cast
off the Christian duty of Charity, and left the " heavy charge"
is,au paupers,
Ireland
rgealai nn
da
issk
t, h
essp'
of supporting the poor upon the poor themselves, and, more-
over,-hen these proprietors have, by their injustice and cruelty
w
s millionserva
tof o
np
heavy charge" upon their property ever be remitted?
ob
hoyorsiel sotucloduntthryis
and the English Legislature proposes to relieve
our pot by a heavy taxation on the actual occupiers of our
lands
houses and a- •
Sir,lreland is not the poorest country in the world ; but
she is the
created two
most country •
in the world, for her fertile
d the labour of a naturally industrious people have
lands an
and thus has
been separated,the creation and accumulation of
capita • l been presented
preve by a wicked monopoly of judicial power
i n Ythoeutreenrea
in the hands of her conquerorsconquerors to the exclusion of the con-
quered (that is to say,n latter times, Protestants and Catho-
lics), and the laws made by the first were, and are still, so op-
pressive to the last, that the population has not only lost all
confidence in them, but considers these laws to be an invention
of the enemy. Now, a good Government ought, surely, to
make a just distribution of the riches of Ireland, so as to
relieve a portion of the population reduced by the landed pro-
prietors to a state bordering on starvation ?
Iu the next paragraph that I shall notice, you say, "I could
I understand the conferring of favour or bounty on Ireland by the
people of E"gland or Scotland contributing to the relief of our
poor. But the taxing of the Irish to enrich the Irish is a process
of new hind, of which one cannot well see a satisfactory result."
Rather say, that you do not choose to see the satisfactory re-
sult ! I dare say, Mr. O'Connell you have heard the old
saying, that "none are so blind as those who won't see." I
cannot, therefore, enlighten you, but I may prevent your blind-
ing others. In this paragraph you ingeniously make the Mi-
nistry appear to lay on the poor tax, for the purpose of adding
to the mr.ss of riches already in Ireland ; or, as it were, to
import riches :as if the Ministers expected by a Poor-law to
send gold into Ireland, not in exchange for the produce of
industry, but as a gift—in the same manner that a subscription
for the poor Irish made in England and Scotland would do.
And you say you cannot understand this. No I neither can I,
nor any one else as you state the question, lumping bad Poor-
laws and good Poor-laws together as similar in their effects!
But every one can understand that if the Irish proprietors have
robbed the Irish labourers of their right to live in the land of
their nativity, and force them to seek subsistence in other
countries, while their own rich country lies waste and unculti-
vated—if the Irish proprietors do this, then a law, which re-
stores what the rich have stolen from the poor will enrich the
poor. Assuredly a good Poor-law would not import gold
without an equivalent into Ireland ; but it would augment the
riches of Ireland by the very fact of making a change in the
distribution of property already existing 1 If, for example, I
have a right to half' the produce of a hundred acres of hind,
and that the man who has possession of this land will not
allow are to cultivate his land, but insists upon letting the
hundred acres lie waste, and obliges me to spend my life
without work, or seek my subsistence in foreign countries,
will not my property be augmented by a law which forces him
either to maintain me. or to let me cultivate the hundred acres
for the produce of which, having a ready market, I can obtain
five guineas an acre, and maintain myself in comfort ? Will
not such a law "augment" my property? Assuredly it will :
and such would be the effect of a noon Poor-law in Ire-
land, in which you
"cannot see a satisfactory result!" Such a
law would alter the mode of distribution of property already
existing ; it would give my property in labour to my
neighbour in exchange for his property in money; and there
would be an increase of property, by as much as waste land
would be converted into productive land —that is to
say, the union, or application, of waste land and labour
to caeli other would create capital. Sir, you well know, that

t '

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~ 14.1 v I" ,t,. - ,i' 6 • . ' T ' --

PRICE sd.

he just principle of a GOOD Poor-law is, in the first place, to
make property contribute to the support of that poverty which
the possessors of that property have created : and, in the
second place, to force the rich to give employment to the
poor : for the landlords who possess the five millions of acres
of waste land, now existing in Ireland, will employ labourers
to cultivate that land rather than support those labourers in the
Poor-house. If they do not do this, a transfer of property
from .he rich to the poor must be the consequence of a coon
Poor-law—_a consequence both just and politic. The osten-
sible object of a Poor law is, therefore, to obtain justice for
the poor Irish, by a wholesome pressure on the self-interests of
the rich Irish. Such is the great and virtuous principle of
a GOOD Poor-law. It is not. merely " taxing the Irish to en-
rich the Irish," but taxing the rich Irish to support the poor
Irish ! You well know that a GOOD Poor-law is the only tax
which does not fall upon the poor, but upon the rich, and is
therefore liked by the poor and disliked by the rich. On the
contrary, a BAD Poor-law, as you also know, falls cruelly upon
the poor, and is in favour of the rich ; therefore is disliked
by the poor, and liked by the rich. Now, Sir, you very
ingeniously mix up both these laws together, for the purpose
of blurting upon the coon Poor-law the odium which justly
attaches to a BAD one—thus exciting the deluded Irish la-
bourer to oppose the former.
In your next paragraph you speak plain sense. " The
question then is simply this—Will the new distribution be
more beneficial to the poor than the old ?" If so, you admit
that " Poor-laws ought to be adopted at once." In answer I
ask you, was the old distribution of property good ?—was it even
tolerable ?—was it not driving the labouring Irish to despera-
tion ?—was it not a state of outra 4e upon !alma city, upon Chris-
tianity, and crying to God for that remedy which man re-
solved not to apply ? Was it not a state which, in time, must
produce one of three things—A law to protect the poor?—or
a sanguinary rebellion ?—or the annihilation of the people by
starvation and emigration—by that horrible system cancel
" clearing estates" so warmly advocated by Lord Stanley_
a system in which folly and cruelty rival each other in the
work of destruction ! Now, Sir, you well k eow, that a coop
Poor Law would produce a new and better distribution of pro-
perty than now exists in Ireland, and, therefore, GOOD " Poor
Laws ought to be adopted at once," for on their being come
the whole question hinges. if they be bad Poor Laws, the
new distribution will, unquestionably, be for the worse. You
say—" my own deliberate opinion, an opinion a.xiously formed,
is that in no shape ever did a general Poor Law (I mean a
Poor Law including able-bodied paupers), an l that it ne-
ver can diminish the amount ofpoverty in any country however
favourably circumstanced for the experiment." It is not
easy to understand your last sentence. What do you mean by
a country " favourably circumstanced for the experiment of
Poor Laws?" Do you mean a country well governed ?—or do
you mean a country ill governed ? However, I have main-
tained, in the foregoing part of this letter that a Poor Law can
diminish the amount of poverty in either case ; but let us dis-
sect this matter still farther.
First—We who defend Poor Laws, mean good and not bad
Poor Laws.
Second—Good Poor Laws assist the destitute poor.
Third—The destitute are those who have boon struck down
by misfortune into a state of pauperism ; industrious people,
but having no employment for that industry, or being too old
for work, or sick, or maimed, and consequently starving.
These last may be found in a well governed country ; but, in
that case, their numbers must be so few as to render their sup-
port unimportant in the scale of taxation ; where they are
found in great numbers, as in England, Ireland, and Scotland,
the country must have been long, and hideously ill governed,
and it is the duty of those Ministers to whom the government
of such an ill-used country falls, promptly to feed those whom
their predecessors had nearly reduced to a state of starvation ;
and, at the same time, to take such measures as shall
throw the labour market open to the industrious,
while they prevent the idle from being a charge upon their
neighbours. Both these steps are necessary : for a legislator
ought to deal with the mischievous rich as severely as with
the mischievous poor. Such are the essential qualities of a
Goon Poor-law, and such a Poor-law would, in Ireland,
" make a distribution more beneficial to the poor than the old."
And therefore, I repeat again and again your own words—
" Poor laws ought to be adopted at once." But not only does
a good Poor-law diminish poverty and soothe outraged hu-
manity; but it gives safety to society, and vigour to the laws.
In proof cf this I will tell you what Poor-laws have done in
this respect. The old Poor-laws of England, bad as they
were in the arrangemext of their practical details, gave a con-
fidence to the people, and told the poor that they had rights
which would preserve life in the hour of distress; None of
the abuses to which that law gave rise (or rather, none of the
abuses to which heavy taxation gave rise), could deprive the
people of this confidence in their natural, and legal right, to a
support out of the land. The people of England, therefore,
patiently endured, up to the enactment of the New Poor-law,
all the sufferings which war, taxation, and bad government
imposed upon them ; for they always considered that they had
legal protection against starvation. I therefore firmly believe
(and I am by no means singular in that belief), that the old
Poor-law, from the justness of its principle and in despite
of the badness of its practice, has been the means of pre-
serving the English people in a state of comparative comfort,
tranquillity, and obedience It saved us from highway rob-
beries and agrarian ontroges.
In Ireland there are no recognised Poor-laws : the labour-
ing Irishman feels that he has no protection from the laws,
but in his courage and in his disobedience to those laws : he
feels that he is starved by bad government ; that, in the
extreme of distress, there remains nothing for him but to
perish, and when dying ho knows that part of the little he
once possessed has been torn from him by the Protestant
Clergyman, whose religion he abhors, for, to him, it has been
tyrannical, not Christian ; and he expires in the arms of the
indefatigable Catholic Priest. This Priest may be good, or
he maybe bad; the truth of his religion may be disputed, but
no man can deny that, to the dying Irish Catholic labourer,
he gives the only comfort which this life affords to him. Yet
Clergy of all religions are excluded from any interference
with the- poor 1 Can it then be a matter of wonder that the
Irish labourer is hostile to laws which give him no protection?
—to a religion which gives him no comfort ? Certainly not.
He is, to all intents and purposes, treated as an outcast. But,
Sir, if the coop Poor-laws, which you so contemn, bad existed,
even the old English Poor-law, the Irishman, like the English-
man, would have felt conscious that his right to live upon the
land of his nativity was recognised by the law. He would
have asserted that right ; and long ere Ireland had blushed
to acknowledge two millions of paupers, her absentee Aris-
tocrats would have been rudely recalled to their estates, and
resident proprietors have learned that their labourers had a
vested interest in the land, which the cruelty and recklessness
of landlords dare not openly trifle with ! The labourer could
not have been refused support, and whatever evil was the
cause of his poverty, the pressure of the Poor-laws upon the
land would have long since forced an enquiry, detected that
evil, and have ameliorated the Irish labourer's destiny.
You will no doubt answer, that this difficulty would have
been met as in England by a new Poor-law, and that I have
myself condemned this New Poor-law. Exactly so ; but
then, the Irish people instead of having, to our eternal dis-
grace, suffered numerous famines, would have suffered no,
famine at all ; and would have been in the same state that the
English now are, viz., knowing their right to subsistence from
the land, and sternly determined to force a reformation of the
New Poor-law Amendment Act ; which Act will, if not re-
formed, force them to become poachers and highwaymen, and,
liko the Irish, to commit agrarian outrages of every descrip-
tion, till et last a rural police will become necessary, unarmed
at first, and then armed as in Ireland. All this will, it ap-
pears to me, be the result of breaking down the principles of the
old Poor Law, instead of breaking down its abuses. If I run
correct in this reasoning, as I firmly believe, then, Sir, a
coon Poor-law in Ireland will unquestionably diminish the
amount of poverty in Ireland; it will also diminish the quan-
tity of discontent and outrage. It may diminish your rent,
which I should rejoice to see diminished in that way as much
as I should regret to see it diminished in any other. I now
come to that paragraph where I go entirely with you :
"Even those who do approve of a general Poor-law, must,
if they will reflect on the details, condemn the Ministerial Poor-
law as emphatically as I do."
Sir, I do cordially join with you in this, and in all you say
from this paragraph to the end of your letter, except in
your abuse of the English Radicals. I think, however, that
you mix up the disgustingly stupid Poor-lare Bill, proposed
by Lord John Russell—which will realize the fable of
Pandora's box—which will do all the mischief you prophecy,
and probably much more—which will perhaps create an in-
surrection ; you mix up this new Bill with a GOOD Poor-law
Bill, such as would be advocated by men possessing really
vigorous and statesinenlike minds, and not likely to concoct
such a piece of legislation as the proposed Bill of Lord John
Russell, and his protegee Mr. Nicholls. In your present re-
sistance to this law, Sir, I congratulate you as much as I
was disgusted at your voting for it last year, while you ex-
plained some of the evils it would bring upon your country.
Your conduct, Mr. O'Connell, never was open or consistent
upon this question ; you have always shuffled upon it, for you
are tossed to and fro between public opinion and your private
interest. You know that public opinion favours a GOOD
Poor-law for Ireland, aid as vou live by public opinion, you
dread to oppose it. On the other hand, you know that
a GOOD Poor-law would quickly render the Irish la-
bourer too comfortable to be any longer dependent upon
you; and that consequently your rent would cease ! If
you were really a patriotic man—if you really loved
the Irish people, you would yourself frame a poor-law ; or,
instead of quoting Captain Kennedy's pamphlet (" Analysis of
Projects proposed for the Relief of the Poor of Ireland "), as
you and several Members of Parliament have done, without
acknowledging that they drew upon him for their informa-
tion, you would have consulted with that officer and Mr.
Blake, two men who know more of the Irish poor than all
our public men put together, yourself included, and thus have
effectually exposed the Nicholls-Russell-law against the poor
to the contempt and reprobation it so richly deserves. If you
do not reprobate a GOOD poor-law, crush by the exhibition of
one this detestable project against the Irish laleourers. If, on
the contrary, you are opposed to any poor-law, however good,
attack the principles of such a system openly ; show that they
are fallacious, but do not suppose that you delude men, by