The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-19 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1847.

4-
very amusing spectacle is being presented night
after night in the Upper house of Parliatnent, but it is
one which unhappily interferes with public business.
The most vexation oppositionis given again and
again to the differentu measures introduced by the
Government.
Under the
guidance of a contemptible
faction, Noble Lords turn restive and assail with the
utmost and violence
obstinacy the very schemes
the
which are sanctioned by
collective wisdom of the
empire; and they act thus simply
because they are
of their
Gallant
Noble recent and
still smarting under a recollectio
i
ignominious discomfiture. Noble
distin-
Noble and Learned Lords, Lordsn d
guished by every variet.T of adjective andeeed Lords,
ve
gree of grammatical comparison, may experience a
morbid satisfaction in venting these miserable ebulli-
tions 9f spleen, but we warn them that they are
heapink live coals upon:their heads in so doing, they
are accumulating for themselves a terrible compensa•
Con, they aue rendering each other odious in the sight
of the community, by becoming the obstacles of
legislation.

, The Earl of LUCAN endeavoured ye.storday even-
ing to obstruct the passage of the Limited Service
(Army) Bill by one of the most idle amendments
-which could well have been devised, namely, " that
twelve years be substituted fur ten years in the in-
fantr'-, aril fourteen years for twelve years in the
cavalry and artillery, or other ordnance corps.''

Fortunately the proposition was negatived after a
very few observations of remonstrance, and the Bill
ultimately passed unmutilated through the ordeal of a
Committee in the Lords, and wets duly reported. No-
thing but a miracle of pertinacity can now, therefore,
retard its enrolment on the statute-book, and a new
and brighter career dawns before the members of
the military profession.
Inestimable as havebeen the advantages already con-
ferred upon the army, by the reformations effected
in the condition of the soldiers, we are disposed to
regard the present measure as calculated more than
'Any preceding alterations to effect a very visible
improvement in the moral character, the intellectual
faculties, and the social condition of our liveried de-
fenders. The purpose of the Government in intro-
ducing the Bill, which now only requires a third
reading in the Peers, and the customary consent of
the SOVEREIGN to become a law, was very happily
and tersely expressed by the Duke of WELLINGTON.
That intention is, according to his Grace, to render
dismissal a punishment. In alluding to the
vexatious amendments which had been introduced,
the Duke observed with a petulance in which
we can fully sympathise —" My Lords, there
may be many modes by which this object may
be accomplished, but this is the mode proposed by her
MAJESTY'S Government, and adopted by the other
House of Parliament, and therefore I recommend
your Lordships to give it your support." A sugges •
tion appears really to have been afforded by the
opposition raised against the Factories Bill from the
first moment of its introduction, that suggestion being
that whenever there is apparently little hope for a
direct negative to the measure, an oblique or
indirect negative has been given by squabbling as to
the propriety of ten or eleven hours, ten or twelve
years, twelve or fourteen years, or what not. Dis-
tinctly and emphatically we protest against this
shuffling and ignoble system of antagonism. There
is a sneaking and insidious character about it which
is wholly incompatible with open discussion and
honest statesmanship.
Much as the Marquis of LONDONDERRY derided the
notion of ameliorating the condition of the soldiery
by the establishment of military savings' banks—by
the diminution or abolition of corporal chastisement
—by the restriction of the authorities of general
courts-martial—by the destruction of the de-
grading cat —by the sanatory improvements
introduced into the barracks—and by the systematic
education of the privates during periods of peace, the
Noble Lord may rest perfectly assured that he is only
rendering
rendering himself eminently ridiculous in the utter-
ance of his sickly gibes and puling sarcasms. Despite
the sneers of a few malcontents, we are satisfied that
a happier and more ennobled existence is approaching
for the soldier.

The Irish Poor-law has passed the House of Lords.
It now only awaits the approbation of the Representa-
tives of the People to the amendments introduced into
the Upper. House, and the Royal Assent, to become
the law of the land. llenceforward the people of
Ireland are entitled to relief in their destitution.
Henceforward no person can perish from want of tlle
common necessaries of life in our sister island. The
great principle has been recognised the adop-
tion of which in this country, nearly three
centuries ago, led to our national prosperity. Ir.
England, by reason of that principle, the proprietors
of the soil could nut afford to suffer the population to
remain idle and unemployed, or their lands to remain
without the highest degree of cultivation awl
the fnll development of their capabilities. Had
they dune so the whole produce would hhve
been absorbed in the supply of pauper multi-
tudes. To obtain any surplus, they were
obliged, in the first instance, to provide employ-
ment for the able•bodied labourer. He was thereby
supported at a much cheaper rate, even supposing,
'his labour to be utterly valueless, than by consign-
ing him to the tender mercies of the union work
house; •with wages not exceeding Bs. or 10s. per week he
was enabled to maintain his family without having
recourse to parochial assistance, while the support of
that family in idleness would have cost the parish
fully double the amount. The landowners, therefore,
saw the necessity of exerting themselves to provide
useful occupation, and of mutually co-operating
one with another in doing so. They speedily
found that they themselves fully participated in the
benefits derivable from such a course. Their lands were
brought into the highest state of fertility ; the produce
was fully doubled ; the rentals had a propor-
tionate increase. Their mercy was indeed " twice
blesse3," and their country prospered and attaine3
the highest rank in the scale of nations.
In Ireland, however, it was otherwise. There the
destitute pauper bad no legal claim to relief. He
could only trust in the dark hour of affliction to the
precarious charity of those whose positions were little
better than his own. To the honour of the humble cot-
tier, it may be said that he never hesitated to share
his frugal meal with the suppliant, to abridge his
already too scanty supply, in order to save his dis-
tressed brother from absolute starvation. Perhaps
the amount thus doled out to wandering mendicants
amounted to as much as would have been required
under a well-regulated system of poor-•laws ; but it
did not fall directly upon the class who could have
taken steps to remedy the evil. Nothing, therefore,
was done, and what has been the result ? We find,
in the middle of the nineteenth century, more than
a quarter of the entire soil of the country suffered to
remain waste and unreclaimed, and the residue that ,
is nominally in tillage, not half cultivated, so that
although the glebe is naturally more fertile than in
England, its produce is sixty per cent. lower. Thii-
inay fairly be ascribed to the non-adoption of an effi-
cient poor-law up to this period ; and we may rea-
-onably hope that it will find a speedy remedy,
now that the cause which hr.s led to so un-
toward a result has been taken away. The rental
of the country may be stated in round numbers at
15,000,0001. sterling ; an increase of 60 per cent. for
improved cultivation would give 9,000,000/. addition
to that rental, exclusive of the value of the lands that
would in process of time be reclaimed and made
Productive, or 12s. in the pound on the value, far
more than any rate that would be struck in ordinary
years for the relief of the poor.
We have already pointed out some of the defects
and deficiencies of the measure. These, however,
may, and, we doubt not, will, speedily be altered; and,
although in the interim they may possibly deteriorate
from the good effects of the law, still we have much
that is valuable—that must; lead to the introduction
of a better system. We can therefore cordially con-
gratulate all classes on the final success of the
measure.

To England, more than any other country, is an
accurate acquaintance with the commercial resources
of different states of paramount importance. The
vast extent and varying nature of her commercial
pursuits enforce the necessity of obtaining, as far as
is practicable, the most intimate knowledge of the
mercantile data of other countries. By the acquisi-
tion of good intelligence on these points we art
enabled to pre-occupy and open new fields to the
mercantile genius and enterprise of our compatriots.
In this way we are not only prepared to take the
' readiest means of augmenting our national wealth,
but we likewise render ourselves, by cementing the
bonds of international intercourse, the chief promoters
of universal civilisation. To the statistical labours of
a PORTER and a M'CuLLocn are we greatly indebted
for most valuable information, for placing many of
our fiscal arrangements upon a footing the best cal-
culated
to develop the important ends of commercial
reciprocity between the British empire and foreign
countries. Mr. JOHN MACGREGOR has vigorously la-
boured, and with signal success, in the same field. The
21st part of his work upon commercial tariffs, and
of Europe and America,
regulations, resources and trade of the several states
treaties between the
Govern-
ments, has embodying the commercial
been recently presented to both Ilous
Parliament by command
of the Brazilian empire,
elaborate research bypwi7i hand
tions have been charactAeeric
of her AdlAisJpElsaTyrs.
English and foreign
herein clearly enlightened as to ihe
of commerce and navig►ation, and to
gal ion', agriculture, manufactures, esof
thletartesraemwatees
all his former publica-
rtahzeilitan statistics
and
fin,rnacde, navi-
of that
~m '4llpiret but an admirable exposiNlont
given.(i)s-nly
nolitical alai social condition. The area of the ts
r' . em iilT,
is computed to be nearly twenty-three times that of
the United Kingdom, or about ieventy times as large

as Portugal. Its climate, in parts, is actually ren-
dered unhealthy by the very richness of the vegetation
in the low alluvial lands. In 1844 the estimate of
the population did not exceed four millions and a
half, and probably not one acre in two hundred
of the entire cultivable area of Brazil is under any
kind of culture. Their forests are of huge expanse,
and the trees of majestic stature, some of them being
invaluable for the purposes of ship-building. Amongst
the minerals, which are very numerous, iron is found
in great abundance. The civilization of the Brazilian
people is confined to a narrow strip on the
coast. The inhabitants of the interior are
steeped in barbarism, their redemption from which
will be quickened or delayed by the habits and
manners of those who are located on the coasts, and
who, in rude nations, are ever the first to receive and
diffuse the blessings of enlightenment. Education
has been shamefully neglected—a newspaper or a
book is considered a rarity. Religion is in a most
unsatisfactory condition. The principles of in-
fidelity are widely disseminated, and ignorance and
superstition likewise prevail to a lamentable extent.
Altogether, Mr. MACGREGOR'S description of Brazil
is highly interesting, and well repays an attentive
perusal.

Madrid papers of the 12th have arrived.
All the Ministers had left the capital for Aranjuez,
a circumstance which gave rise to a rumour of an
impending change of Ministry. The QUEEN was to
give a grand reception on the 13th, in honour
of the KING'S birthday. Food riots have taken
place at Leon, but they were soon got under by
the authorities. General PEZUELA, Captain• General
of Seville, has:been exiled to Malaga, and Senors
CHICO and AVIUANETA have been set at liberty.
General SHELLY has gone to take the command in
Seville, and General CONCH 4 to assume the command
of the army of observation assembled on the frontiers
of Portugal.
MADRID Borse, MAY 12.—The Three per Cents.
were done at 30-k for cash ; the Five per Cents. at
19; the Debt without interest at 5i ; and the Coupons
at 16.