The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-24 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

It is now about three years ago since we
spoke with the utmost freedom on the subject of
emigration : our opinion was decidedly then, as it
still unchangeably remains, adverse; but the excel-
ent character of the man who patronized the pro-
ect—his zeal, sincerity, and industry, in the cause,
and in every cause for his country's service—toge-
ther with the belief that all projects of this nature
must end in abortion, unless promoted by improper
methods, induced us tosuspend our opinions. The
scheme of emigration, however, being now recom-
mended by Lord Howick, the son of the Prime Mi-
nister, and leave being obtained to bring in a Bill
" for facilit sting settlements in Canada and Australia
by voluntary emigration," the measure requires
the fullest consideration. It is, perhaps, superfluous
to say that we oppose no man's transporting him-
self and his family whithersoever he pleases—to
Van Dieman's Land or Upper Canada—provided
this be not done at the public expence, and provid-
ing there be no beating up for volunteers ; but the
present project has a very different aspect. The
motive assigned fur this restlessness on the subject
of emigration is the absolute certainty, as it is endea-
voured to make us believe, that there is a redundancy
of hands. Now we happen to do more than doubt
" this self-evident proposition :"and with some infor-
mation from all parts of the kingdom, we are fully
of opinion that there is much more work which ought
to be done, in all those districts where the distress
of the labourer has been the most striking, than
there are hands to do it. Let any man of compe-
tent knowledge but look over any farm in such dis-
trict:, and he will see that it is not half tilled. And
why ? Because the farmer has taken it too high ;
because be had not capital enough when he entered
on his farm ; and because he is still oppressed by a
rate of rent which was fixed in better times. If he
had the money first to employ and pay his labourers
their labour would remunerate their employer ten
times over. Why, should he ever be able to add
one or two hands to his establishment, are they to
be taken out of the market ? We have always
urged most strongly a commutation for tithes. But
still let it not be supposed that such commutation
would be an unmixed good. It is always an ad-
vantage to the labourers in a village or parish, that
tithes should be taken in kind; for when the farmer
reaps and houses his grain, the additional tenth
makes no increase to his establishment; but the
tithe-owner must have horses, servants, and carts.—
However, it may be said, there being unemployed
hands, no matter from what cause, it is better
to remove them than to take the chance of
the British market being able to find them
employment. But how remove them ? Lord
Howick says, at the expense of the parish,
by borrowing money upon the rates. We have
not had misery enough in a national point of view,
we suppose, from anticipating our future revenues,
but we must anticipate our parochial revenues also,
eh ? And who is to maintain the residue of infirm
and aged paupers in a parish when the persons
capable of labour (and such are the only fit subjects
for emigration) are removed ? We say, that (with-
out some other cause operating) the rates would
immediately increase in a parish after every act of
emigration; and for this cause,—that the labouring
poor can always do something towards the main-
tenance of their aged and infirm relatives, who,
after the emigration of their supporters, must fall
wholly on the rates. Many a plough-boy brings
home his eighteen-pence or half-a-crown a-week to
his grandmother or widowed mother, who, but for
this help, must come wholly to the parish ! All
emigration bills violate nature and harrow up the
feelings; but Lord Howick's measure is of a charac-
ter absolutely atrocious. The unhappy fugitive still
supports his courage when he takes leave of all that
is dear to him in earth, with some vague idea that
he shall be able to return at some future period to
the scenes of his infancy. But Lord Howick's propo-
sition is,—that the emigrant, when once started,
shall never be allowed to return to his native land,
so as to be again chargeable on the rates! What
law, that is not opposed to every principle of hu-
manity, can bar the ports of his country against an
individual whose only crime is poverty ? And how
can it be ascertained, a priori, whether a returning,
emigrant will hereafter become chargeable on pa-
rochial rates or not ? The author of the Bill talks
like a recruiting serjeant in a country fair, of his
3s. 6d. a day as labourers' wages in Canada. But
let it be recollected, that without other documents,
high wages may mean only dearness of provisions;
and in any case 3s. Gd. a day is not enough to se-
cure a provision for old age in a country where
there are no parish rates,—no alms-houses, founded
by benevolent ancestors. We have little doubt,
therefore, but that such Bill would be a grievous
aggravation of individual suffering and of the public
difficulties, and hope it will die quietly : but if we
:find any vigorous attempt made to carry it, we shall,
without scruple, expose the folly and the inorance,
mixed with intolerable conceit, of the projectors of
these notable schemes of taxing every parish, and
banishing our industrious and able-bodied labourers.
--l'i'mes.

The indifferent success which, in some important
particulars, has attended Lord Althorp's recent
scheme of taxation, is to be regretted for reasons
which look much further than to any question of
pure finance. It has shaken the general character
of the Government, and may perhaps affect it, ::ta-
bility—a circumstance than which we know not one
more calculated, at the present moment, to entail
upon this country the risk of disasters whose amount
and termination no man living can foresee. If we
are asked whether Lord Grey and the Chancellor
of the Exchequer have been altogether innocent of
the blame inferred against them by the violence of
the existing clamour among monied men, our .v.nswer,
with whatever reluctance, must be given in the
negative. In matters eminently practical, and farni-.
liar to the minds of hundreds of individuals who
were equally within the reach of Ministers, and
worthy of their fullest confidence, they appear
to have too much abandoned themselves to
their own speculations, and to have exposed
themselves to the charge of ignorance, or
certainly of extreme precipitation. The cause of
this, though partly to be found in the sensitive
honour of their Lordships, who were above all other
things anxious, by inviolate secrecy, to prevent any
gambling advantage being taken of a premature dis-
closure of their plans, must likewise, in great part,
be ascribed to inexperience of publie business, the
necessary effect of a long exclusion from office, and
a monopoly of the powers of Government this
empire by one overbearing faction. The 01)601;6
deviee, therefore, of every reflecting Englii,hatait, pro-
vided he be also (as most people capable of reflec-
tion are) an honest man, would be to bear some-
what longer with an Adminiateation, whose only
error as yet has proceeded from a misfortune com-
mon to them awl to their country,—the4c tianish-
rneu for half a century from the Royal councils: of.
Great Britain ; and whose best title to the national
esteem andeontidence is their pli.e4ge (if supported by
the public voice) to employ the auth.arify vested in
them for the repair of injuries caused by time ip our
institutions, and for the, redress of grievances fci
tered and established under the reign of that same
Court party, which, if the present Ministers were
now forced to retire, would instantly re-ace,:py their
placee, and deprive the people of every Ifory of,
seeing the remedies of their meait, flagrant wrongs'
attempted by the operation of a
~)stelitc..t.ic and ge-
nerous policy, or attainable thro.ugh
any medium
but that of a convulsive revolution. Already the
war-whoop of the old Tory faction is saunded
through that department of the public press which
spirit corresponds' arrd„is.identined with, the j,,-
f; lit and ultra-Royalist rhapSodles
of
_Paris,—the
in.,4rtiCtiOn,:. dale Camarilla,z, at LiAon and.
Aldrich—and the no less edifying orders of tic
day, just issued against the Polish patriots by that
commander-of -the faithful, Count Diebitsch. The
editor of the Quarterbi &riot! must have under-
ritizal she zeal and vigilance of the Tory chiefs in
ealliatnent, or flattered biro-,elf con,;iderably to
, , .

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