The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-05 00:00:00

BOROUGH OF MAR YLEBONE.

THE Committee appointed to defend the Elec-
tors of Marylebone, in consequence of the Petition pre-
sented by the Tories for the purpose of seating Lord Teignme",!th.
in the place of Sir Samuel Whalley, and which alleges ',l-1!, air
Samuel Whalley was returned at the late electio::,,7-:Colourable
majority, solicit the friends of Reform to •
:..,pr,'Ort, by their sub-
scriptions, the Marylebone Electors in . ensuing contest.
The day for taking such petit:::m into
the 20th February instant.
o consideration is fixed fet"
Subscriptions rgill be received by Messrs,. Grote, Pi•elekt, and
Groto, Threadneedle-street; the Marylt-rone Bank, '9, Cavendish-
square ; the, Treasurer, Dr. Fellovges, 31, Dorset--sqttare ; and the
Seeretarj. 89, Chancery-lane, and No. 13, Mornington-etn?,
Hampstead-road.
JOSEPH IVIMEI% `lien.. Sec.

! YOUNG LADY 'residing oith her Parents,
1Z in a respectable and airy situaliori, Is desirous of the CARE
:and EDUCATION of TWO et THREE CHILDREN, at any
age under Twelve. Should this meet the eye of any Widower, who
wishes to 'put his children from home, they would find all the com-
fort of One, as her own and Mother's time would be entirely dedi-
cated to them. Music and Dancing will be taught if required.
Address to E. F., 1, Southampton-street, Pentonville.

• OPERA BUFFA.
THEATRE ROYAL. LYCEUM.
LAST WEEK BUT ONE OF THE SEASON.
MR. MITCHELL begs respectfully to acquaint
thel:Tobility, Gentry, Subscribers to the Opera, and the
Public, that he is permitted to announce
FIVE ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES
At this Theatre, whidi will take place in the following order, and
terminate the Representations of the present Season.
(Subscribers who may be desirous of continuing their Boxes or
Stalls for these Performances, are solicited to intimate their
wishes as early as possible.)
TO-MORROW, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6,
Will be Performed (Last Time) INlercadante's Opera, in Two Acts,
ELISA E CLAUDIO.
Between the Acts the Overture to La Gana Ladra.
ON THURSDAY NEXT, FEBRUARY 8,
(BY COMMAND OF HER MAJESTY,)
Donezetti's Opera,
D' ELSIR
And P..II,TLY.
SATURDA':, FEBRUARY 10,
(For the Last Time), Mozart's Grand Opera,
LE lirOZZE DI FIGARO.
/3ctweelt the Acts, (by desire) Mozart's Overture to Zauberflote.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13,
(Last Time), Rossini's Opera, in Two Acts,
L'ITALIANA IN ALGIERI.
With Donizetti's Farce,
IL CAMPANELLO.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15.
(Last Night of the Season), Donizetti's Opera, in One Act,
BETLY.
And Ricci's Opera,
SC ARAM U C C I A.
Director, Signor PUZZI. Conductor, M. BENEDICT.
Leader, Mr. MORI.
at commence at 1-
Doors open at Eight o'Clock. The Opera will commence at
%if-past Eight. Bcxes and Pit 65., Gal-
lery, 2s. 6d.
Applications for Boxes and Stalls to be made at Mr. Mitchell's
Royal Library, No. 33, Old Bond-street; at Mr. Seguin's Library,
12, Regent-street: and at the Box-office of the Theatre, where
Places may be secured.

AN ITH WHICH
" THE TRUE SUN" IS NOW
INCORPORATED.

LoNDWI4-7---
MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1838.

We cannot reconcile Mr. O'CONNELL'S conduct
upon the question of a general Poor-law for Ireland
with any recognized principle of Christian philan-
trophy, enlarged statesmanship, or even common
sense. Having utterly failed, after years of discuision
and argument, to convince even a respectable minority
of the intelligent portion of the Irish people, that a
Poor-law is not imperatively necessary to the future
well-being of that country, it might naturally be ex-
pected that he would now give way to the overwhelm-
ing majority who differ from him—content with having
exerted himself, while there was a hope of success, in
endeavouring to bring that majority over to his opi-
nion. Mr. O'CONNELL must admit that the advo-
cates of a Poor-law are influenced by the most bene-
volent motives—that they are engaged in a struggle
for the starving poor against the rich ; and his know-
ledge of the wretchedness of Ireland must satisfy him
that no change in the condition of the rural popula-
tion can be much for the worse. How, then, comes it
that we find the Hon. and Learned Gentlemen exert-
ing all his influence to frustrate the benevolent intentions
of the Government—employing all the powers of his
great mind to neutralise the beneficial working of any
Poor-law in Ireland by previously sowing the seeds of
suspicion, distrust, and discontent in the public mind ?
Defeated on the principle of a Poor-law, he takes his
stand on the imperfection of proposed details ; and if
he be pressed to propose his own amendments upon
such details, he turns round and re-attacks the prin-
ciple. This shilly-shally system of opposition to the
measure places him in a false position—in a position
in which he cannot continue without the greatest de-
triment to his character as a Statesman and a Patriot.
Tens of thousands of the poor of Ireland are literally
famishing, and Mr. O'CONNELL would agree so far
with the principle of the proposed Poor-law as to give
them—physic 1 Our readers may look astonished—
incredulous ; but we are stating a simple fact. Within
the last fortnight a public meeting was held in Dublin for
the express purpose of discussing the merits of the Go-
vernnt Bill for the relief of the Irish poor. Mr.
O'CONNELL attended, and in a speech of great
length, addressed more to the passions than the under-
standing of his numerous auditors, admitted that
relief should be provided for the indigent to the follow-
ing munificent extent :
You know there is one point upon which we are all agreed,
and that is the necessity which exists in Ireland for additional
medical relief to the poor. There is no one more anxious than
I am that hospitals should be erected where the sick and hurt
poor should obtain abundant relief. There ean be no danger
that by doing this objects will be multiplied, as must be the
ease with a Poor-law for the healthy labourer, when a man
who gets two shillings and sixpence will be tempted to go and
drink it, not caring for the consequences, because, as he'll say,
" Oh, what need I care ; there's a poor-house for me to go
if I should want assistance."—( Hear, hear.) No man will
break his leg, in order that he may be sent to an hospital; nor
can any imposition be practiced when a man goes in ; for, did
he attempt it, the doctor would soon give him medicine which
would make the fellow bolt, and run off in a very great hurry.
—( Laughter. )"

`Were this the language of any other man than
DANIEL O'CONNELL—Of any man whose life had not
been, like his, devoted to the political re-
generation of his native country—we would not
hesitate to denounce it as the most heartless
ever employed on such an occasion, and on such
a subject. The poor are dying of hunger, and Mr.
O'CONNELL proposes to supply them gratuitously
with bulusses, pills, and emetics. Mr. O'CONNELL
would not object to the gratuitous cure of disease, but
he objects to the compulsory removal of the cause of
it by the opulent—namely, starvation. Provide the
people with plenty of food and warm clothing, and
they will easily dispense with any addition to the
present number of fever-hospitals. We really pity
the poor on all sides. To their cries for food Lord
FARNHAM responds by offering a Bible, and Mr.
O'CONNELL by presenting a pill-box and a dose of
salts. Respecting the principle of Poor-laws, Mr.
O'CONNELL stated it as his deliberate opinion, " that
they never give relief to those who are worthy of it ;
that they promote idleness ; that they take money
from those who cannot afford to give it, and
give it to those who ought not to receive it ; that
they dry up the true source from which the giving
of alms should spring—pity, and bounty, anti
Christian charity ;" and yet he complained loudly
of the conduct of Ministers in not consulting him
upon the measure which they intended to propose,
and added that Ireland could only hope for justice
from a domestic Legislature ! Where is the consis-
tency, or the fairness of this inference ? If Mr.
O'CONNELL is of opinion that Poor-laws are so bane-
ful in principle, it would be an insult to him to request
his co-operation in framing one for his native country ;
and the Government acted with delicacy and judg-
ment in not troubling him upon the subject. Besides,
it was unnecessary to ascertain views already well-
known to all the world. As if to refute all that the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman had ever urged against
the necessity of a Poor-law, he read to the meeting the
following extract from Mr. NICHOL CS report of the
state of the poor in Donegal, to the truth of which he
himself bore testimony

" Nothing can exceed the miserable appearance of the cot-
tages in Donegal, or the desolate aspect of a cluster of those
hovels, always teeming with an excessive population. Yet if
you enter their cabins, and converse with them frankly and
kindly, you will find the people intelligent and communicative,
quick to comprehend, and ready to impart what they know.
There was no employment for the young people, nor relief
for the aged, nor means nor opportunity of removing their
surplus numbers to some more eligible spot. They could
only, therefore, live on "hoping," as they said, that "times
might mend, and that their landlords would sooner or later do
something for them." Yet with all this suff!rin,,, no disturb-
ance or acts of violence has occurred in Donegal. During the
severe privations of the last summer, when numbers were ac-
tually in want of subsistence, there was no dishonesty, no
disturbance—the people starved, but they would not steal."—
[Here the Learned Gentleman became so affected that he was
obliged to throw down the book from which he was reading,
and for some time could not continue—he was loudly cheered. ]
I beg your pardon, it does unman me.—( Renewed cheering.)
There was no disturbance, no plundering, no violence, no
dishonesty—the people starved, but they would not steal.—
(Tremendous cheers). Oh, God 1 and these are the op-

pressed Irish—these are the calumniated and insulted Irish—
these are the people who are described as uncivilized and bar_
barons.—( cheere.)"
Th. P^— "

;qr. U'MALLEY, in an able and eloquent
speech, in favour of the Government Bill, thus forcibly
alludes to the emotion butayed by Mr. O'CogliELL.,
in reading the above extract:—
" Is there, or can there be, any mystification of this broad
glaring fart, that tho-e iri tl melancholy amount of destitution
in the land, and that the greater the amount the greater ne-
cessity of a law to regulate its relief ?—( Hear, hear.) Is
there, or there be tiny mystification of the avowed and heart-
rending truth, " that tho people starved, but they would not
steal ; " and, gracious Heavens ! are we to Suter them to starve,
because we cannot agree as to the exact number that perishes ?
You witnessed, Sir, the emotion with which Mr. O'Connell
read to us that touching passage of Mr. Nicholl's hitid hearted
report ; but how strangely wayward are the human sympa-
thies • ' he weeps over the affliction, and yet strenuously resists
the only sure method of redress. He talked, to be sure, of
charity as a redress, but whence is this charity to come ?
Shall we suffer the poor peasant, who alone witnesses the
misery of those " who starve but will not steal," to snatch for
its relief the potatoe from the mouth of his own hungry child?
What a melancholy mockery, to heap our idle praises upon his
heroic sacrifice, and yet take no step to render that sacrifice
unnecessary.—(Cheers.)"

The conclusion of the Rev. Gentleman's speech
embodies a powerful attack upon Mr. O'CoNNELL's
conduct upon the Poor-law question—powerful be-
cause true—and one too, which will not be overlooked
when the details of the Bill come to be discussed in
the House of Commons. " We, who are in favour
of the principle of a Poor-law," argued Mr.
O'MALLEY, " have just cause to complain of Mr.
O'CONNELL'S manner of dealing with the one now
under consideration. He tells us one day he con-
cedes the principle and only combats the details ; and
he tells us next, as he has told us to-day, that he ob-
jects to the principle. He exclaimed two years ago,
when addressing the Trades—' Would to GOD I
could invent some good plan ; or what I would like
better, that some one would invent it for me.' If he
wishes for a plan, why oppose the principle alto-
gether ? And if he is opposed to the principle, why
call for a plan, if not to cavil at it ? If he reject our
plans, have we not a right to expect that he would
devote his powerful mind to the developement of some
scheme of his own ? And if he will neither try
what we offer, nor offer us anything himself,
what pretensions can he have to our co-ope-
rating with him ?" These are arguments the
pertinence and force of which will be felt and re-
membered—arguments which will be appreciated at
their full value in Great Britain, no matter what may
be their effect upon public opinion in Ireland. Mr.
O'CONNELL will adopt what course he pleases upon
the question of a Poor-law for Ireland ; but were he
to be guided by our opinion, he would now take leave
of the measure altogether. His opposition can only
be productive of annoyance to the Government and
evil to Ireland, by stimulating, in the minds of the
landlords, a factious hostility to the Bill from
the instant it is declared the law of the land.
Besides, he should bear in mind, that, in opposing
this measure against the expressed conviction of a ma-
jority of the Catholic Clergy, as well as people, he is
recklessly destroying that influence which, so long
as he retains, will enable him to effect the eradica-
tion of every abuse in the civil and political admi-
nistration of Ireland. We are ourselves convinced
that but for his opinions upon the Poor-law question,
the influence of Mr. O'CONNELL in England would
he almost as great as it is in the City of which he is
the Representative.

944
,N?
sq. ••
X..

Zbt Z 31414