The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-01 00:00:00

rilj) 1 t

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 1, 1836.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for Ireland moved last night
in the House of Commons the second reading of the Irish
Municipal Reform Bill ; and in so doing, exposed the
abuses of the existing Corporations with a clearness and
force that made a profound impression on the House. The
English Municipalities were bad, bukthey were purity it-
self compared to the Irish ones. Even the Tories ad-
mitted that the latter were as infamous as they could well
be, and actually professed to be shocked at the enormities
which Mr. Sergeant O'LOUGHLIN'S able speech exposed.
And yet these are the very men under whose one-sided
system of patronage, the Irish Corporations have attained
their present scandalous notoriety. So long as they held
the reins of Government, they could see nothing offensive
in these Municipal monopolies ; but now that they are re-
moved from power ; now that the spirit of Reform is
and it is necessary that they, for their own credit's
sake, sboiZld be inoculated with the virus, they discover
that the Irish Corporations are but so many unsavonry
dung-heaps, whose (,;.I.onr so offends their 'nice sense of
smelling, that they arc con:l:piled to hold their noses, and
insist on the wholesale removal of the nuisance. Sir R.
PEEL, in particular, is quite energetic on this point. lie
is fur destroying all the Irish Corporations, as Mani" de-
stroyed the infants, and MacaeTti the children of Mac-
DOFF, "at one fell swoop." His rigid sense of public duty
forbids- him to permit their existence one hour longer.
Sheriffs, magistrates, aldermen, freemen, burgesses, town-
clerks—all who are in any way, directly or indirectly mixed
up with these deliequent municipalities, should, in the Right
Lion. Baronet's opinion, be sxept away, and their property,
influence, patronage, &c., be transferred to the Crown.
And why does he propose this wholesale—this Ultra Ra-
dical—Reform ? Is it from his sense of what is due to
public morality, and public justice ? Nothing of the olarl,
for had such been his guide of action, he would have told
us so long ere this ; he would have delicately hinted it in
his Tamworth Manifesto ; and alluded to it more explicitly
from his scat on the Treasury Bench. No, no, Sir Rocrwr
is no Radical Municipal Reformer from conviction ; but
because, anticipating at no distant date, his return to the
Premiership, he sees in the transference of all the patron-
age of the Irish Corporations to the Crown, a handsome
means for enereasieg his Ministerial influence, and providing
for the needy of his own party. We apprehend, however,
he will be disappointed in his pleasant anticipations,
and most probably be compelled to rc wither in the
cold shade" of opposition for years and years to come.
His speech last night was, as usual, full of solemn plauslbig
lities enunciated with all his wonted pomp and emphasis.
He was " for equal justice," he said, and could not endure
that difference of creed should render one Irishman capable. of
and incapacitate another for, soling his country. Protestant
and Catholic should alike be treated with impartiality.
There should be no system of favouritism—no "64441"-
ness—•nothing that bore. even the sernb4nce of prejudice
or partiality. What a wholesale surrender of old opinions
is here ! What a desperate throwing overboard of party
feeling ! Yet we do not blame the Hon. Baronet for the
facility with which he has given in to the spirit of the ago :
tve only question his sagacity in not having allowed it to
influence his actions long ere this. No man has had wore
frequent opportunities of rendering " equal justice" to Irish-
men, and no man has less availed hiseself of them. First
as Secretary for Ireland ; secondly, as Home lipprotary ;
and thirdly, as Prime Minister, it was in his power to have
promoted one and all of the Reforms which he now dis-
covers to be so essential to the welfare of the sister country
Yet he neglected, nay worse, he set his face against them
all. When he was in office, the Irish Corporations were
all that they should be ; now that be is out—.and sees that