The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-04 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1849.

The discussion on the second reading of the Rate
in Aid Bill was last night brought to a conclusion.
The amendment of the Hon. Gentleman the Member
for the University of Dublin was rejected by a
majority of 55, the numbers being for the amendment
138, against it 193. The Bill was then read a second
time without further division. If the Irish Members
had cause of complaint on the preceding evening,
when one only of their number could succeed in catch-
ing the Speaker's eye, ample amends were made
last night. The Right Honourable Gentleman
appeared as if he alone looked to the benches occupied
by Honourable Gentleman from the other side of St.
George's Channel, and the implied invitation was
on every occasion as promptly responded to. Thus
we find the Representatives for Limerick City, Clon-
mel, Tyrone, Rochdale (an Irish proprietor, although
the Representative of an English borough), Lime-
rick County, Fermanagh, Longford, and Belfast,
recording their protests against any independent
exertion on the part of Ireland ; while the Mem-
bers for Mallow and the City of Dublin
more than compensated for their numerical inferiority
by the sterling reasons and the unanswerable argu-
ments they adduced in support of the Ministerial
proposition. h cannot therefore he said that the
House decided on
-the principle cf the measure with-
out giving the parties mere immediately interested a
full and ample opportunity of submitting their opi-
nions for and against the Bill for the_ consideration of
the House.
The debate will at least have one important result
—ether :and more important enactments must be
introduced for the permanent amelioration of the
country. Its lamentable condition has been clearly and
graphically depicted ; the monster grievance has
been exposed with a master hand ; the fatal conse-
quences of an embarrassed and insolvent proprietary,
unable to afford:employment to the people, have been
clearly and lucidly explained. Other instructive
facts, have been elicited that will guide the future
legislation with respect to Ireland. It is now mani-
fest that great and comprehensive measures are
required. There must no longer be a strict and
slavish adherence to precedents. Important laws must
not be frittered away by a number of exceptions
that completely neutralise the benefits that would
otherwise have resulted therefrom. " Desperate dis-
eases require de'perate remedies," and the disor-
ganized state of Ireland is now, unhappily, but too
well known, and the treatment to ba applied must be
suited to the urgency of the symptoms.
The great desideratum will undoubtedly be to
tempt new capital into Ireland, to obtain men able
and willing to d3velope all the industrial resources of
tl,e coun try. For this purpose the first point
will be to simplify the law of real property,
to remove the burdens and
-restrictions that operate as
practical prohibitions to any dealing with land. From
an over-anxious care for the interest of persons yet
un-born, we inflict the deepest injury, the most fla-
grant injustice on the present generation. If encum-
bered estates could be sold in every instance under
the order of a court of equity, or of a special tribunal
constituted for the purpose, whenever it could be
shown that they were encumbered to a certain
proportion—say one half of their value—and that
the purchaser, on payment of his purchase-money,
into court should have a good, valid, and unimpeach-
able title to the lands, the first great difficulty would
be answered, and no injustice would be done to
any person. The claims of the reversioner or
remainder man (if.. any) might attach upon the
funds •in court, in place of the estate itself, and the
judge who sanctioned the sale would guard his rights
with peculiar vigilance, so that the money would
not bo paid out unless the clearest title could be esta
blished thereto. The Receiver of the Court of Chan

cery is unquestionably the worst possible landlord
that can be inflicted on any tenantry, and if the affairs
of the nominal proprietor should fall into such em.

barrasment as to justify the appointment of such an

officer, who should supersede him in the receipt of the
rents, issues, and profits of the lands, it affords prima
facie evidence that he is no longer qualified for such a
position, and the lands should be sold with all possible

speed ; while the increased value from the simplicity
of the title, amounting probably from five to ten

years' purchase of the lands, would more than corn,

pensate the late owners, and all persons claiming
' '

under or through him for the summary character of

the proceedings.

But this alone will not be sufficient. It
wilt unquestionably be the first and the most
essential step in the right direction, but
more will be required; additional temptation
must be held out to solvent purchasers. However
clear and unquestionable the titles may be rendered,
it will not tempt capitalists to invest their money in
the purchase of Irish estates, so long as there is a
prospect of the entire produce of the soil being re-
quired
for the support of the destituteeypooonrd.
whichTlie es-
tablishing a maximum poor-rate, b
demand could be made, would remove this difficulty
so far as the purchasers were concerned, but it would
operate rather Injuriously to the vendors, inasmuch a,
allowance would be made for the full amount that could
by any possibility be levied, and the bidding would be
as if the balance of rent-roll, after deducting the norni-

nal rate, were alone for sale. Thus, if the maximum

were fixed at 7s 6d. in the pound, an estate of 440/.
per annum would only be rtgarded as one of 2501.,
while the purchaser would have a Parliamentary
guarantee against being subjected to any charge what-
soever for the relief of the poor. It would be far

better to equalize the poor - rates through-
out the entire kingdom, and to make every
description of property liable to the charge, as was

originally intended by the Act of ELIZABETH. Then,

indeed, there would be a demand for Irish estates

fully equal to the supply. You would find willing
purchasers, while the present owners would receive

fair and remunerating prices for their lands—prices

which, in the majority of instances, would be fully