The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-31 00:00:00

NOW READY.
By B. DISRAELI,

every iniividual concerned in the evolutions of
I the great political machine, from the First Lord of the
Treasury down to the subordinate clerks in the
Commissariat Department, it would be ungracious
and unjust, as one of the exponents of public opinion,
to refrain from expressing our fullest satisfaction.
The present Parliament and the present Ministry
have had to-battle against misfortunes which would
have appalled the pusillanimous and have over-
whelmed the incompetent. By the very fact of their
having conducted the affairs of their country through
so terrible a chaos of calamities as that which has
latterly descended upon Scotland and Ireland, the
Parliament and the Ministry have shown themselves
adequate to any occasion however dismal, and to any
emergency however imminent. And with the exception
of a few fragmentary discussions upon our disruptured
relationship with foreign Powers—discussions which
were absolutely requisite in consequence of the ex-
traordinary occurrences which had recently trans-
pired upon the Continent—excepting these fragmen-
tary discussions, what has been the predominant and
almost exclusive subject of Parliamentary and Minis-
terial labour since the 26th of January but Ireland ?
For upon whom have the eyes of the Legislature been
turned if not upon the Irish peasantry ? To what
portion of the British empire has liberality been
evinced, and sagacious statesmanship been applied,
if not to Ireland ? Whither, during this brief but
fruitful interval of two months, have the capital, and
the charity, and the precautions, and the provisions of
England been flowing, if not into the lap of Ireland ?
And all this has been accomplished immediately under
the guidance, at the instigation, in accordance with
the example of the Government. Whatever private
munificence has been displayed towards Ireland—and
there has been much—is alone owing to the emu-
lation excited by a provident and benignant
Legis4tfire. We are depicting no Arabic
fable, we are describing no Oriental allegory ; the
truth of whatve utter is visible in the golden boons,
and the wise provisions, and the lavish bounties
which have been showered upon Ireland by the Go-
vernment.

Hitherto the recommendation contained in her
MAJESTY'S Speech from the Throne, that in endea-
vouring to provide for the necessities of the starving
multitude, all party spleen and animosity should be
forgotten or disguised by our Legislators, has been
complied with admirably. Hitherto our Legislators
have postponed their personal or party antagonism
until the gloom of famine and disease shall be
dissipated from the land. Hitherto they have acted
like obedient lieges, like humane statesmen, like
earnest and enlightened Christians. Before the
Easter recess has commenced, however, the suppressed
passions of the representative of Lynn break through
all obstructions. In defiance of the entreaties of his
SOVEREIGN, in defiance of a spurious friendship, in
defiance of all Parliamentary usage, in defiance even
of the commonest decency, Lord GEORGE BENTINCK
utters language the most abusive and calumnious
against Lord JOHN RUSSELL and his colleagues. He
accuses of inhumanity a Government that has striven
with the noblest fortitude against the inroads of
dearth and pestilence. Ile attacks, as the cause of
the mortality in Ireland, a Government by whose
exertions alone it is that Ireland has been pre-
served from becoming one vast lazar-house. He
endeavours to hold up to popular abhorrence a Go-
vernment whose whole energies have been tasked
unceasingly to ensure the happiness, and to effect the
salvation of the million. The retort of Mr. LA-
BOUCHERE upon these gross and inexcusable asper-
sions was at once so dignified and emphatic as
to render further allusion to them superfluous.
After directly, explicitly, and completely contra-
dicting the assertions of the Member for Lynn, the
Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Ireland
says—" I apologise for having interfered, even for a
moment, in referring to such a speech as that of the
Noble Lord." We should be induced to apologise
in like manner, did not our duty as journalists compel
us to make this allusion to Lord GEORGE BENTINCK7
and to mention him in terms which must render him
the object of national opprobrium.