The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-08 00:00:00

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LONDON,
FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 8, 1836

The English Tithe Bill was read a second time last
night in the Honse of Lords on the motion of the
Marquis of LANSDOWNE. We have so often had
occasion to notice the principal provisions of the Bill ,
since its introduction into the House of Commons,
that it is unnecessary for us to enter into any discus-
sion respecting them at present. The Noble Marquis
gave the House a clear and concise view of the Nan •
for the commutation of Tithe embodied in the Bill,
and it gives us great pleasure to add that not only
was there- no opposition to the measure, . but it was
received in a spirit that leaves no doubt of its
speedily becoming the law of the land. Thu
only points on which there seemed to be any dif-
ference of opinion were the periods allowed for a
voluntary settlement. Three months is the time
fi:ed by the Bill, within which the tithe=payers in a
parish must apportion the payments among themselves,
after the general amount has been agreed upon
between them and the tithe-owners. This appeared to
• some Noble Lords too short a space for the pur-
pose, and we think it might advantageously be
somewhat extended. It was also urged that the time
for amicable arrangements in regard to valuation might
be' enlarged beyond October 1837, when, according
to a clause of the Bill, if no voluntary settlement shall
have been made, the Commissioners are to proceed to
value the tithe on • the compulsory plan. These are
matters of but minor importance, and may very easily
he adjusted without interfering with the great princi-
ples of the measure. Lord ASHBURTON observed that
if under the new system there would be, as was said, no
contention, there would at least be an annual adjust-
ment. But if it is implied that this adjustment
may lead to contention, we can see no reason to ap-
prehend any such result. The whole matter to be ad-
justed will simply be what is the average value for the
last seven years of a certain number of bushels of
wheat, barley, and omits, and this problem will be
solved by looking at a table of prices drawn up ac-
cording to a plan very clearly laid down in the Bill.
The Noble Lord further remarked, that there would
injustice arise out of the .Bill, should any tamper-
ing with the currency take place. We should be as
sorry as Lord ASHBURTON can -be to see
the currency tampered with ; but we do not think that
the interests of the tithe-owners and tithe-payers, as
such, would be in the least affected by a change in the
state of the currency. The tithe-owner's number
.of
bushels neither increases nor diminishes. His quan-
tity of grain is invariable. If the circulating medium
be increased, he, like every other person having a
commodity to exchange, will get more money for it : if
it he contracted he will get less,,but relatively he will
be in the' same position either way. In-the one case
his enlarged nominal income will bring him no real ad-
vantage, as he has higher prices to pay for every thing
he buys; While in the other, from his nominally smaller
income, he will derive no loss, by reason of its greater

actual value.
We will only add, that it must be gratifying to
Ministers to find their claims to the gratitude of the
country, for bringing forward and carrying through
this great measure, so fully acknowledged as they were
last night by their political opponents. We believe
no party feelings have hitherto been mixed upswith the
discussions which have taken place on this Bill, and
we would hope the same course will be pursued in
those which are yet to come.

We direct the attention of our readers to an extract
from a Dublin paper, which will be found in another
column of The Sun, headed " Disgraceful Occur.
rences at Ebenezer Chapel," by which it will be seen
what sort of an animal an Irish Orange parson is.
Imagine one of these Clergymen declaring publicly in
a Police-office, that " he did not see why he would not
be acting right, to preach with a couple of carabines
in the pulpit, and to recommend each member of his
congregation to worship GOD with a musket on one
side, and a sword on the other 1" This truly
Christian declaration was made by the Reverend
JOHN M'CREA, Minister of the Ebenezer Chapel,
and Chaplain of the Orange Society, on the occasion

of one of his congregation having been taken into
custody for having a drawn dagger upon his person.
Truly the Rev. Gentleman's language bears a striking
resemblance to that of the Sermon on the Mount, and
fully justifies our conviction that parson RYDER and
parson BERESFORD are by no means the only pat-
terns of meek clerical benevolence to" be met with in
Ireland. Parson M'CREA treads on their heels—
indeed, is everyway worthy of them. We hope the
powers that be will take notice of this pious pastor.

We have great pleasure in directing the attention of
our readers to the Report of a Meeting held at the

Thatched-house Tavern, St. James's-street, yester-

day, for the purpose of agreeing upon a plan for the
carrying of Railroads through Ireland. The meeting
was attended by several distinguished Noblemen, most
of the Irish Members of Parliament, and a majority of

the great landed proprietors. We are happy to state that
a spirit of the deepest sympathy for the present wretched
condition of the Irish poor, and the most earnest desire
to ameliorate their condition, per vaded the assembly; and
from the tenor of the resolutions adopted, as well as from

the tone of the speeches delivered by men of the most
opposite political opinions, we may fairly infer that a
brighter and a happier day is/about to dawn over the
destinies of Ireland. 'We cordially concur in the opi-

nion that it is the duty of the Government to decide
upon the great lines of road, before private Companies
are allowed to expend a shilling upon the construction
of opposition branches. In concerns of lesser mag-
nitude every man ought to have a fair field for-
competition allowed him. The opposition may be
ruinous to himself, but it will serve es a pro-

tection to the public. But with such stupendous
undertakings- as Railways the case is very
different. The property sunk in a rival speculation
must absorb the surplus wealth of thousands—the
entire wealth and credit of hundreds of families, and if
it fail, all is lost without benefit to the State,. or to
individuals. As the Knight of KERRY well observed,
now is the time to adopt such a plan for the regula-
tion of Railways in Ireland. The rivalry of Com-
panies has hardly commenced there ; and were the
country surveyed, and the several lines fixed upon,
hundreds of thousands of pounds would be saved to
the future proprietors in the prevention of litigation in
the Locali Courts—Parliamentary agencies—Com-
mittee expenses—costs of witnesses—and a variety of
other fees and costs, alike ruinous and unnecessary.
Not only the concurrence, but the zealous co-or-
•ation of the Government, is required to carry exten-
;ive and efficient lines of Railroad throughout Ireland.
'Jost of the resident landlords are too indolent to take
•ir active part in so extensive a plan for the regenera-
"on of their country ; and many, that arc otherwise
,•ell disposed, know so little of business as to be
.rtually disqualified for useful exertion. No Railroad
-In materially benefit Ireland, which is not so exten-
ve as to connect the leading provincial capitals with the
letropolis ; and works requiring such an immense outlay
ill not be supported by men of limited income—in a
:ountry so agitated by party feuds, and so extremely
;oor—unless the name of the Government be associ-
;ted in some way or other with such undertakings.
Most ardently do we hope that another year will not be
allowed to pass over without laying the •ground-
work of a plan so well calculated to improve
the moral and physical condition of the Irish poor.
Diminish the distance in time between London and
Dublin to twelve hours ; connect Dublin with Cork on
the South, with Galway on the West, and with Belfast
on the North, by three Great Railways branching from
the Metropolis—and lo! there is more clone to civilize,
educate, physically improve, and content the peasantry,
than if fifty millions were wasted in charitable dona-
ions to expel hunger from the hearth, and ignorance
'rom the hovel, by means of Bibles and pecuniary gra-
The construction of railways will pour a. vast
uantity of the unemployed capital of this country into
reland ; a market will be opened for the produce of the
nterior ; manufactories of every kind will be multiplied ;
every species of labour will bring a good price ; and vested
capital will be sure to draw a remunerating profit.
With good Railways traversing the • country
in all • directions, the Government will be able to
diminish the army , to one-sixth of its prevent
strength, with equal security to the peaceable
inhabitants of the disturbed distriets—cven did such
works do nothing towards providing employ-
ment for the disaffected. But, after all, the main
cause 'of the disturbances so frequently com-
plained of in Ireland is hunger. It is not Captain
ROCK, but penury and despair, that drives the peasant
to loin the midnight conclave leagued against laws
which afford them no protection against starvation.
We cOngratulate our Irish fellovi-suhjects on the pros-
pect .which at last begins to open upon them. They
;nay rest assured that we will do all in our power to
prevent the disappointment of their most sanguine
lopes.

,cities.

We have Letters and Papers from Madrid to the
30th ; from St. Sebastian to the 28th ; and from Bilboa.
to the 22d ult. The QUEEN'S Government knows
not in what way to turn for want of money, but no
'change, in the Administration is expected till after the
meeting of the Cortes. IsTurtrz is very sanguine of
success. He calculates on a clear majority of at least
thirty Deputies, backed by an overwhelming majority
in the Upper Chamber. He has certainly left no
stone unturned to maintain a position, to reach which
he made so many sacrifices. Should he fall, he is
well aware that he can never rise again. Neverthe-
less his position is by no means a secure one. Con-
n° vA has set his heart upon obtaining the Presidency
of the Council, and it rests with him whether IsT Una
shall remain in power or not. A decisive victory over
the Carlists is necessary to enable the Government to
raise money, and without money the present Ministers
cannot remain in office. Now CORDOVA appears in
no mood to accelerate such an event. What his 'real
designs are is an enigma which -we do not pretend to
solve. The majority of the Spanish nation place not
the slightest reliance on his professions of patriotism.
That he is incompetent to discharge efficiently the,
duties of Commander-in-Chief of the army we are well
convinced ; that if he were competent he would neglect
the duties of his command we are equally satisfied ;
but we are by no means certain of his real designs in
continuing to paralyze the efforts, without actually be-
traying the army into the power of Don CARLOS.'
That he is at heart a friend to liberal principles, we
never believed for a moment. His attachment to the
QUEEN is from personally selfish motives ; and we
are persuaded, that in the event of being disappointed
in his ambitious aspirations after power, he would only
be prevented from joining the standard of the Pre-
tender, from a dread that Don CARLOS would not keep
faith with him, and that in his extremity he would be
deserted by the French party and his old associates of
the Camarillo.
The reports of a negotiation between the QUEEN'S:
Government and Don CARLOS for putting down the
war by a marriage, were so widely spread, and so
generally credited in Madrid, as to attract the notice of
Ministers. Fearing that it might tend to relax the
vigilance of the citizens, the following official contra-
diction of it appeared in the Gazette of the 29th ult. :
" Absurd rumours have been in circulation for the last day
or two respecting negotiations between the Government of her
Majesty and the Pretender. It is not the first time that the
public mind has been abused by reports injurious and calum-
nious, the sole object. of which is to mislead public opinion
with regard to men and things, cool the ardour of our intre-
pid defenders, and alienate the friends of liberty and the legi-
mate throne; and as these results tend manifestly to promote
the views of the partisans of usurpation, it id impossible not to
perceive that these reports originate in those persons. Men