The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-16 00:00:00

THE BALLOON VOYAGE.

( From Galignani's Messenger.)
The following are a few additional particulars of the late
interesting balloon voyage—unquestionably the most re-
markable which has ever been performed—in addition to the
brief notice of the safe descent of the aerial navigators al-
ready before our readers. It would appear that the descent
was effected at a little village in the neighbourhood of
Weilburg, that being the capital town of the county of
Nassau-Weilburg, containing the Ducal residence. The
travellers were received with much distinction by the Prince,
and their hotel had been crowded with visitors from the
moment of their arrival being known. The descent of a
machine so novel in aspect and collossal in size, having,
as may well be supposed, created a most extraordinary
sensation among all ranks of the inhabitants. The only
communication which has yet reached town from the aero-
nauts has been received by Mr. Gye, written by Mr. Monck
Mason ; it briefly describes the voyage as " delightful."
Further and ample details are looked forward to with the
greatest interest, not only by the merely curious, but by the
savant, ,Nho justly regards this bold experiment, together with
the ample means afforded by the immense machinery em-
ployed, as the first great step that has ever been taken se-
riously to determine the long-disputed question of the utility
of the science of aerostation. Up to the hour of proceed-
ing to press, unfortunately no further communication has
been received. We believe it is the intention of Mr. Gye
that an ascension shall take place from Paris ; should he
carry it into effect, the gigantic machine will be imme-
diately transported from Germany, and the Champ de Mars
will, in all probability, be the spot fixed upon for this cu-
rious spectacle. The great obstacle to the design pro-
mises to be the difficulty in procuring a sufficiency of gas
for inflating so immense a body, the proprietors having been
obliged to erect very extensive gas-works at Vauxhall, in
London, for the purpose. Should the ascent take place,
we may safely predict that all Paris, learned and un-
learned, will witness the interesting experiment ; and
no doubt it will be freighted with some of the most distin-
guished men of science in France, many of whom were
warm patrons of the abortive attempt made last year by
Lennox, in the hope of being enabled to ascend with
his ill-constructed apparatus. We cannot conclude with-
out quoting a description given of the last atmospheric
voyage across the Channel, and the arrival of the aeronauts
in Paris :—".53 years ago the Channel was crossed in a
balloon, with this difference in the undertaking, that Dover
was chosen as the starting point. M. I3lanchard constructed
a balloon in London, had it conveyed to Dover, and having
joined in the undertaking a physician, Dr. Jeffries, by the
first fair.wind he ascended, and in the course of an hour
and a half he alighted at Guignes, in France. From thence
the intrepid travellers touk a post-chaise and four to Paris,
and arrived at the Grand Opera in the middle of all the
beau monde assembled at a favourite performance. At their
entrance the whole audience rose ; the ladies waved their
white handkerchiefs, the gentlemen applauded with enthu-
siasm, whilst cries of Vives les braves Anglais' resounded
throungh the theatre." The trip thus so highly honoured
almost provokes a smile as ludicrous when compared with
the aerostation of the present day, of which this last ascent
is by many degrees the most important example.

Mr. Monck Mason has been for several weeks previous
to the departure of the balloon in correspondence with the
proprietors of the gas-works in Paris, relative to their
charge for supplying gas. One party named such a price
per cubic foot of gas as would have required the sum of 8701.
to fill the balloon, but others have agreed to supply it at a
much cheaper rate. The charge for filling the balloon with
gas at Vauxhall is sixty guineas. The proprietors of the
gardens think that sum too much, and have in contempla-
tion to erect a gas-work for the purpose of supplying the
balloon, so as to be able to ascend several times every
week during the next season. Mr. Holland defrays the
whole of the expense of the late voyage, which was calcu-
lated to cost about 3004—Morning Paper.

Speaking of the new Baron of the Exchequer, Mr.
O'CONNELL said—l promise you that no suitor will ever
know Baron O'Loghlen's religion from his conduct on the
bench.--(Hear.) A Protestant will get justice from Mal
as soon as a Catholic, even though that Catholic wer-s, his
brother. After some historical observations on Catholic
Judges, and a passing animadversion bu Bruen's (the
Carlow Tory,) assertion that the I):1411 were " savages"—
the Hon. an Learned Gentleman spoke to the resolutions
which had been passed by the meeting !—" They shew
your allegiance," said he, " they shew it to be true and con-
stitutional. It is not the allegiance of those aristocrats
whose support of the King's Ministers is in proportion to
the facilities and sanction which they afford to them of rob-
bing and plundering the people.—(Cheers.) The resolutions
show that your allegiance is that of freemen, whose allegi-
ance is unpurchased and unpurehasable, except by justice.
—(Cheers.) The resolutions properly declare your confi-
dence in the administration of Lord Mulgrave.—(Cheers.)
He is a true loyalist—he is doing more than any of his pre-
decessors to bind this country to England in the adamantine
bonds of affection. Look at the peace which now prevails.
There is no ruffle upon it from the Giant's Causeway to
Cape Clear, nor from Cunnomara to the Hill of Howth.—
( Hear.) This prevails too—and again and again I will re-
peat it—in spite of the unceasing and desperate efforts of
the Orange parsons to destroy it. I proclaim this to Eng-
land. There never were such means used to produce ex-
citement—(Hear)—and yet the country is in a state of
unexampled quiet. I defy the Tories to deny this fact.
Let them look at the counties of Tipperary, of Kilkenny,
and Limerick—let them look even at those counties in
which disturbances prevailed the most—the county of
Clare, for example. Let them show me any disturbance
there. All is perfectly quiet.—( Hear.) Nay, more ; about
two months ago we sent from this room an address against
faction fights and riots at fairs, and they have ceased ever
since.—( Hear, hear.) The assistant barristers at quarter
sesions are declaring in the unwilling cars of the Tory
Magistrates that there is no crimp to be punished. Saud this
is the state of things, whilst every effort is Ina,'e to blister
and irritate the people into disorder.—(Hoar, hear.) But
why does peace exist ? There is a reason for it, and it is
this—it exists out of compliment to Lord Mulgrave, and to
show our confidence in his administration.—(Hear, hear.)
It exists to give weight to that Government which has our
trust. It surely is not produced by any new advantages
granted to our situation, We have not forgotten, and we
cannot forget, that England has got corporate reform—
that Scotland has got corporate reform—and that Ireland
has been declared unworthy of corporate reform. What !
are we unworthy of liberty ? No ! and we should be un-
worthy to live if the pulse did not throb—if the heart did
not leap, and the head did not warm, whilst these men dare
to say that Ireland is unfit for freedom."—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. O'Connell then congratulated the meeting on the
sults of their exertions as directed to the registry Since
the last election, the county Conservatives had gained a
majority of 96 over the Liberals at the regist7:les. I was
grieved. at this. I brought the Trade' T:Jnion into play
upon the county, and by their care atv), activity, the Libe-
rals at the registry, which has just terminated, gained a ma-
jority of 69,—(Loud cheers.) The result of this will be
that as soon as these 61 votes come into force, there will
be no contest for the county." Whilst Mr. O'Connell gave
full credit to the poor for their zeal in registering, he could
not but express the indignation which he felt when he be-
held the apathy of some of the richer citizens whom he
denounced as " paltry wretches hugging their country's
chains," and who should be made to feel the " scorpion lash
of public scorn." After alluding to the certainty of beat-
ing the Tories in the event of an election in the counties of
Cavan, Donegal, and in both the borough as well as in
the county of Carlow, the Hon. Member for Kilkenny
proceeded at considerable length to develops his views, and
to express his opinions on the subject of poor laws for Ire-
land. We shall on the present occasion transfer to our
columns no more of the Learned Gentleman's exposition
than is sufficient to show the light in which he regards a
legal and compulsory provision for the poor :—" In the
consideration of this question," said Mr. O'Connell, " I am
still the advocate of the poor. I care not what effect poor
laws would have on the rich.—(Hear.) Show me what
would be its effect on the poor, and then we shall have a
star or point to guide us.--(Hear.) This is the ques-
tion—it is the only question—what would be the operation
of a poor law upon the poor?—(Hear.) It is a question
of the deepest interest. It appears from the Report of
the Irish Poor Law Commissioners, that there arc
2,300,000 beggars in Ireland.—(Hear.) Yes, it is stated
there that 2.300,000 persons are annually dependent upon
charity in Ireland—an overwhelming mass of poverty
which was never heard of in any other country.—(Hear,
hear.) I say to the English Government, I read your
condemnation in the 2,300,000 beggars, and in all the
other miseries of my country.'—(Loud cheers.) But, I
may be turned upon, and told, Oh, it is the fault of
your people : they are idle, and hence they are poor.'
I deny the truth of this. It is not the climate nor the
soil—it is not the country nor the people, but it is bad
government—it is six hundred years of oppression and
misrule, that has filled Ireland with a population of beg-
gars.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear, bear.") Good govern-
ment is the best poor law, and that we must have.—
(Cheers.) We must first look to the property of the
absentees.—(Hear.) They drain 7,000,0001. per annum
from the Irish soil. I do not say that a few absentees
would overwhelm a country with pauperism, for there is a
kind of general balance as between Kent and Yorkshire,
and Norfolk and Cumberland, which would counteract in
some degree the operations of a limited prevalence of ab-
senteeism. But in Ireland the absentee drain is 7,000,0001.
a year. Not only all our Members of Parliament, but
all our:aristocracy and gentry, who have promotion to seek
or objects of pleasure to attain, spend their fortunes out
of Ireland.—(Hear, hear, hear.) The circumstances
of Ireland render it necessary to have recourse first
to the absentees. Iu other countries a poor law would
not increase wealth or property—it would only effect the
distribution of it. • But in Ireland a poor law would keep
in the country the money which is now sent out of it—
( Hear.) The sole question is, will a poor law benefit the
poor ?Igo to this extent—let the absentees be taxed—
( Hear, bear)—and let the aged, the infirm, the crippled,
and the diseased, be provided for out of the resources of
the soil.—(Hear, hear.) Further than this I will not go,
and any person who considers the subject well will see that
to go further would only increase pauperism. For the last
time I will refer to a calumny which has been most indus-
triously circulated against me on account of what fell from
me on a former occasion relative to the effect of a poor-law
on the morals of the poorer classes of females. I hope
the press will preserve what falls from me upon this sub-
ject. The atrocious Tory press calumniated me by stating
that I had maligned nineteen of every twenty of English
women. I never did so ; I only read a passage from a re-
port signed by the Bishop of London, and others of the
first station, which was published in 1834. hat I stated
was upon the authority of two Protestant clergymen, and
having now, for the last time, noticed this calumny, I
leave my enemies to calumniate me as they please.—(Hear,
hear.) I now call upon the advocates of poor-laws to
point out to me any country which has ever been made
better .by the introduction of a general poor law ? Mark
me. I do not limit myself to a provision for the feeble, the
decrepid, or those who are unable to work from calamity or
casualty, but I speak of a general poor law, I ask what
country did such a law ever make better ? I answer none ;
but on the contrary it has made every country into which
it has been introduced much worse, increasing pauperism
and destitution. I A ,so not intend to impeach the poor law
amendment act, as passed in 1833 for England ; I voted
against that act in all its stages ; I therefore have no per-
sonal motive for upholding its operations. Still I say that
no measure ever worked better, and some improvements
yet to be effected, it will be most complete and useful. If
I am told that England prospered under a poor law, I reply
that before the passing of the amendment act the poor law
cost England 7,000,0001. per annum. Did it make the
poor better? No. It made them more depraved ; it
produceb immorality, the very thought of which was shock-
ing—in fact it was tearing up the very roots of society. How
are the 2,300,000 beggars in Ireland to be relieved. If a
tax to the amount of 2,300,000/. were levied, that would
only be 11. each per ann., or loci case the tax to 5,000,0001.
a-year, and then it will only be about 21. each. How is the