The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-01 00:00:00

madelbeforg a declaration of war- The Hon. and
Learned Gentleman then quoted volurninotis!y frAn writers
on international law, for the purpose of sho,, ins
that sovereigns were bound to c.mpetinte those of their
-übjt:cts upon whom re.pri,alt fell. Op the grate& if /*hue
justice. of public p.slicy, and of international law, these claim-
ant t weie entitled to compensation. - -

Th's is a prop it. n admitting of no den at. Cinitrion
tert.ta attests its accuracy. Neverthe!ess, th s exigen-
cies a-e still allowe;! to exist ; nay, more, thy are per-
initr.-;! to widen ovi,r the land and to setle with :a horri
ble intensity into the very oar. of, society. 'NOthing de- -
terminate is done, though much is spoken of, and though
much al-o, we believe, is sincerely intended. The great
national a ound is left op-:11, no healing Imlsams tu%, in-
fasrd, and the virus is spretribig over the limb with
horrid rapid4y. We speak fnets : we do not attempt to
deepen the tone of a picture already sombre enough in
its hue, GOD knows ! And we do this, and shall con-
tinue to do this, at the risk of repetition. Scarcity is
extending too visibly over Ireland to admit of any
taci-
turnity on our part at least. The distress of th,,
p 'ople is All e,t7ended by all its fearful cone,,mit.,,ttts.
Str JAMES GRAHAM aimotinced the other everainv from

Sr. CARDWELL endeavour to de,;l with the
legal argument which had now for the fist time
begin brought forward in the tonne of these d7s-
cnasions. The ground upon which Sir .T.‘mrs Mmittx-
T)sH rested his hdrocacy otsdetiontshedueizitt:itleesrs,t.htheeandptr:rtbevei:inisiclilmia,:aanSt:
'ltto'ilDlit,readri;fhrotneollathihinae:lnalgisvawlis:tiltilahininttshoo;
wr
wtetwhrheeeerelleti:eat:
oaottf.a thistsceivlliazaitmrlh,ras.ettihfaNefy
beforerni Gtheentldeecinlaanratir nd
redatintuo oaf compensation
were
not not so entitled ; but the real distinctbm was- if re-
prisals were made and there was no dnlsration of war
t•the Government was bound to compensate its subjects, but if
there was a declaration of war then it had a retro-active
eject, and they were not reprisals bat prizes. The declara-
tion of the 16th of August was clearly a declaration of war,
for it exrressly said the war had broken out, so that there
was an express declaration of war before these captures
were made. As between England and Denmark there was a
state of hostility before the 4th November, so between
England and the captures of prizes, the declaration of
ii.trirapnridsaLl e 3
the 4th of November was the first declaration of -war.
He contended that the distinction sought to be drawn by
his Hon. and Learned Friend was erroneous, and he sub-
mitted what be had stated as a complete answer to the
novel argument of his Hon. and Learned Friend. Then with
regard to the grounds of policy and justice. This was not a
party question. It had been subirittvl to Lord ALTHourE,
who, while granting other claims, repudiated the grounds
upon which it was sought to establish their claims. .They
aen first made in 1838, and had been rejected by every
Government since, becatbe it would be ect.ttrary to public
wicy to grant them. These claims were more than
;hi: v yaars old before they had Lett submitted to Parliament.
They might have claims made from losses accruing from any
war in which the country might at any time have been en-
gaged.
air. fIuME thought there was no fear of any such claims
occurring again, because he did not think that England
would again act in such a disgraceful way as she had done
towards Denmark. The three classes of claims were origin•
ally in the same boat, and had all been equally rejected by
successive Govern news, ,as equally unjust ; and it was only
f late ye -, th at this diviAion into ela s,•tz hail beer, made.
It was one iStlie nto,t intp..rtant duti,,stifthe H.use Commons
to see that justice was done to the subj:ct, and in flirt case
they were only asked for a small portion of that which was
justly due. The Government ought not to suffer basses ac-
cruing' from the commencement of hostilitbas to fall upon
individuals; those losses should fall equally upon all alike.
f fie merchants were deceived by answers given by the Ad-
miralty, the authorities at the time knowing those answers
to be erroneous. Not one of the arguments by the Hon.
Gentleman, who had just sat down, had invalidated the
position of the Hon. and Learned Member far Kinsale, and
n gronw s of justice and of good policy, these claims ought
to be liquidated. He only• Wished that he could add to the
principal claimed the interest due from the day the claim
accrued.

the Ministerial benches that the riots in various par's of
Ireland were, he thought, perman nth- suppres,ed. Y.-t,
notwithstan 'ing this declaration from a Home Secretary
so remarkable for his cautiousness, fears in many -guar-
tors are still entertained of their renewal. A party of
dragoons has been summoned into the town of Ennis, to
prevent by their presence the realisation of certain appre-
hensions as to disturbances. The Glare .Journal mentions
the general fear of a tutnultuary iecursion of the neigh-
bouring peasantry into the town, and similar sentiments
of alarm are prcvalcmt in. other districts. But the most
heartrending evidence of the calamities now rife •in
that unfortunate land is that of a memorial to the
Lord-Lieutenant and Relief Conirrissiontrs the
"poor resident cottiers on the ploughland of Clenriegar7_,
wane and Clehantes." To this memorial, given in ano-
ther column, we refer all who are interested in the
condition of Ireland--and who is not ? It unfolds a
sample of the wretchedness of our fellow-county men
harrowing to hear of, menrioning the extreme &stint-
tion, in that small corner of the land alone, of Femew!:ere
about one thousand souls, and setting forth, in the simple
Ivoznage of agtviy, that they are " the most miserable
beings on the race of the earth." A more frii4htfol pos-
t on, of cffairs for the island can scarcely be conceived.
And shall they continue thus without an effxt on the
part of the Legislature for their amelioration?

He is the greatest benefactor of mankind who shall
cause two blades of grass to grow where one alonecould
befere have been raised. This is a truth which has
stoA the test of centuries, and still commands universal
assent. Were it not for the improvt mints in agriculture,
by which an additional produce can now fair'y be
counted upon from the same quantity of land, and also
row briv.ging new territories, which hitherto have re=
tnained unoccupied.in to cultivation,i t would soy n impos-
sible to procure a suffieieney of food for the vast)) increased
and inereasing pulation of the world; and these new
lands have been soiieht for with avidity in all climes and
countries. The hardy and enterprising yeoman, who
finds it impossible to procure a farm in his native land
under terms sufficiently favourable to enable him to live
with comfort, tukt_s with him his skill, his industry, and
his capital, and sir ks in another hemisphere far that in-
flependenee which his exertions cannot obtain for him in
this. Let it not be supposed that the emigrant ha-
no love for the soil where he was bore, and
on which he sprung up to nee h ml, that he is •in-
sensible to the domestic ties of fami c and friends, whi,
bind him to his home. NO; far from it; his heart is
wrung with many a bitter pang when bid ing a long
farewed to all that had been dear and cherished, but
feels that. if he remains at home he must sink in tin
social stale, or b•corne a burden to friends, and wit;
that energy and-indomitable spirit, which has ever
animated the Brit :.11 heart, he sacrifices al,
considerations but those of earning his own live-
lihood by his own exertions, and feeling
the proud consciousness of independence ; and
thus has Britain lost many of her most useful children.
This would not be the case were there in our own lard
I.eality to the improvement of which they could devoty
;heir energies. In our sister kingdom, Ireland, this
particularly the case, and a still greater necessity exists
for the adoption of any means by which employment can
be afforded to, and a house procured for, the m 3 :lads of
unemployed, and destitute labourers in that country.
Tlv-re is no amount of national expenditure we would not
joyfidiy sanction to attain so desirable an olject, even

Mr. F. UARING admitted that if the claim was a just
one it ought to be granted independently of financial con-
sideration& He dried that there had ever been any
on the other two classes of claims. The Government gave
way upon those -two classes, but resisted these claims. On
the advice of Lard DENMAN and Lord CorrF,xnam, then the
law officers of the Crown, in this opinion, Lord CAMPBELL.
and Sir T. WILDS, and Sir H. JENNER concurred; and Sir
W. FoLtavrr, who had given f trrnerly an opi- ion in favour
41f the claims, declared that on a re-consideration of the case
ho felt they were unfounded. He thought t he..Hon,tr-
Ede Gentleman would urea that a declaration of
war was not wanting to constitute war a stats of
war was sufficient without any declaration whatever.
Hut the Danish declaration of August was most
issuretllv a declaration of war, and if that were proved
e wYsnile of the lion. Gentleman's cav fell to the ground.
rite declaration of the two British commanders issued in
August, a;so exprmly declared that the island of Zetland
was about to become the theatre of war; and the English
declaration, in allusion to the Dani-lt declaration, of the 16th
of August, eacs, "Whereas his Majesty the King of Den-
mark has declared war against England," and therefore h
thought it clear that the declaration of August was a declara-
tion of war.

Mr. NlttztEtt Ginsox said he had, after some considera-
tion given to the subiect, come to the dttermi-
n of supporting those claims. With regard
to the question of the declaration of war, he believed that it
had been admitted, that by gia•ltifig- the other claims that
question had been given up. He would rather take the opi-
nion of a legal gentleman out of office than cf one in (dike ;
and as he found that out of office these legal gentlemen de-
ided in favour of the claims, and that in this case the law
Anvers of the Crown shrunk from appearing in the Wuse
u the present occasion, be felt the case was so strong that
e was bound to supp,rt the motion.
Mr. WA MACY asked if the Chancellor of the Exchequer
would pay the money if the motion were agreed to? It was
a contempt of the House, on the part of the successive
c'sovernments, to refuse to carry into etrect the decision of the
House, and the Hon. Gentlenn below ought not to be lef
in solitary confinement. It was absurd to ttscuss these parts
,f international law—the question was, whether the claim was
lost or not; if just, it ought to be liqtklated.
Colonel SIBTIIORP always had, and always would, vote in
favour of these claims.

Mr. ll.twEs, in reply, repeated the history of the negotia-
tions which had taken place at Copenhagen. a,ol reminded
the Douse that, in Sertember. a convention had been signed
oetween Great Britain and Denmark, which put an end to
the declaration of war of the lath of August. The mer-
Aants, in consequence of the policy of the Government, had
lost their property. The Government had money to pay
these claimants, and in justice they ought to pay. Sir W.
FOLLETT had given it as his opinion, that there claims had
,Mite as good a foundation act those which Lad been already
,elmitted. Lord AITHORP'S Treasury minute left the de-
' ..ision of all these classes of claimants to the decision of Par.
iament. Time after time these claimants hid made their
Alin's. Mr. WILBEer-oecE had taken up the cause of the
(claimants. and these very claims had been investigated b 3..
the Government and cut down, and now thec were re-
fits.A. Why, this investigation was a mockery of justice if
the paym-nt of these cla.ms was now to he refused.
S& rangers mere then ordered to wi'hdraw, and the Hcuse
divided, when there appear.d—
For the motion
Against it
Majority in favour of the cirti,na... —lB
On our return to the gallery, we found Mr. IlAwEs on his
legs, expressing a hope that the Government would give way,
to the repeatedly expressed declaration of opinion on the '
rart of the House, and take measures to liquidate theix
claims.

without•the slightest hope of return. The British nation
some time since sacrificed 20,000.00 sterling to remove
the stain of shivery from her dominions, and, large es
was the expenditure, few voices were raised against its-
eipplication, because it was felt to be a great act of morel
justice, sill surely our countrymen would not object to a
sum less than one-tenth thereof being applied to raise thy•
nv)re Oe.ttitute of our Irish brethren from powrty and
eretchedress to comparative •independeuce and comfort.
It is hardly credib!e that at this moment there are in

Ireland over 60,000,000 acres of waste lands wholly un
prodimive, of which fre'rn 4,000.000 to 4.500,000 might
be reclaimed with profit, affording on the one herd ex-
tenstve employment to the laboring population, and 0:
the d th. r a fair rate of intere-t and return for the
capital employed in its improvement. IliiherLo it hat;
aces 1.1: to private enterprise, to the landlords to whom
this large amount of soil belonged, to take the initiative
for its reclamltien—and few indeed have bd en the in-
stances in which active steps have been taken. When-
eier it has been chew, we believe we may sacely
:mere that the person through whose ins:rumentality it
was effected, not only realised a consideraele profit for
idnself. but, no mutter what might bee his creed or hi .
:-I,(4,leitilrei,olh,epewasa;ltretsorsle:tsesdos ahtiidobealnovi egdenieurotuh,eict4uunitsz:
though easily led away, and, alas! toe frequently plung-
ing into crime. Cenvince him that a reel and earnest
solicitude for his welfare exists, and a more grateful
and tractable being breathes not. Setae Irish land-
lords have indeed exerted themselves. The Premier
a few niehts since, rod ntioned in the most laudetory
terms the conduct of Lord G. BILL, who in lesu than
years bus brought into cultivation no less than from
16,000 to 17,000 aeres ; the late Mr. CAPEw, father et
the present Lord CAREw, by continmel zeal. and atten-
tion, by a residence amongst his tenantry, and a foster •
ing care for their weVare, made what, when he fame
into possesion, was little better tle,n a furze brake, a
magnificent and profitable estate, now yielding
a greater number of thousands per annum to
his • son than it did hundreds to himself when
he came into possession of it, and his proudest
boat towards the end of his long and useful lite was
to point to his dernesnes—to a happy and contented
tenantry, all possessing interests in their lands, on which
!hey could live with comfort, and from which they were.
:ore of obtaining for their emu use a fair return for
tdeir labour, and say, see what -I have myself e ffeeted !
.Mr. flow, of the, county Wicklow, might he mentioned
es another lion, urWe instaii.O.e. of similar care and at-
tention, attended with fluidly beneficial arid haipy re
sults both to his tenantry and to himself. Several dithers

Mr. O'Coxxv.i.t. gave notice that he should to-morrow
move that Mr. Smith O'Brien be di,chatwd from cus!ody. •
Mr. B. beVERIP: then moved for a &lea Committee to inquire
into the condition of the labourer,' employed on railways.
Sir J. GRAHAM was much oblig:ed to the Lion Gentleman
for brining the subject before the House, and would not
oppose the application orthe C.,mmittee.
The House was then addreased by
Mr. fIUME and Mr. lirpsou, -who said there existed no
indisposhion on the part of railway canpaoies to provide
l'or the religious and moral instruction of those employ ed
in their works, but denied that there was any necessity for
my miry.
Die motion was agreed to.

Sir R. Piutt. stated that circumstances had come to his
knowledge which rendered it desirahlo that the House
,honkl core to a th-cisinn on R motion which he hegged to
propose; and he therefore moved. that that House ils• give
!cave to Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN to attend and give evith•nee in
the Lords' Committee, now ingoiring into the operation of
the poor-law in Ireland, as he himself was deairous of doing.
—.Agreed to.
The House rose at Ten o'clock.

Until some decisive measures are adopted for the
alleviation of distress in Ireland, our sympathies must,
if possible, become more intense, end our commentaries
more frequent and more urgent in its behalf. As long
as privations continue to extend both in area and in
poignancy, it is impossible—it is utterly impossible-4o
maintain a callous and continuous silence. Our most
solemn duty as journalists would forbid it.
Every emotion of our heart, every dictate of
our reason, every ..•
•our morality,
would tend to confirm us in a sense of that
;luty, and even urge us on to its fulfilment. This is no
theme to be exhausted ; it is not a subject to Le dis-
trdscl as tedious or impertinent ; it can never be in-
sisted upon too frequently. No, not until those dread
scourges of famine and disease have been either dissipated
abated. Such, unhappily, is our position with regard to
:hat fertile but ill-omened country. We cannot consci-
etinusly remain voiceless spbetators of its wretchedness
each would be repugnant to our very eature. A great
moralist, we mean SAMUEL JOHNSON, once exclaimed, in
accents of passionate enthusiasm, " That man is little
to be envied whose patriotism would not gsin force upon
the plains of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow
warmer among the ruins of lona." And, in a similar
-pirit, we might reprobate those who could regard Ire-
land in its present hour of tribulation without feelings of
the liveliest eommisseration. An island so endowed by
ature to humanists the minds of its people with the holy
splendour of its scenery, and to nourish them with the
most pr. d;gal profusion ; an island whom: inhabitant,
have evidenced by their his:or;cal character a singular
proportion of generosity, bravery, and devotion ; an
island so many years alsandoned to miseovernment, and
so many years remarkable for its patient obedience to the
constitution—he must, indeed, be devoid of all capabi-
lity
Kell,ofa
fity to appreciate misfortune who can listen unmoved
tghtmh,(e)
more
tar:ape,
etr
meaues
gbiemn4iii tmo,ebesgenuet
aoaf fnisttreuie
urbnt gumatishuetm.
multitude,
at uIt has
spectacle b e nn
to her story, or remain indiffetent.under a knowledge ot.
said,st
o
natu rends
nst
ei
o°l. naswt ;
eth
hde
er howsip
et instance—
to
ermett
ifu: cri
,ani subject
tdobaef;
unoiccmihts
exhibited by our Hibernian county} men at this moment.
For it woul.l be alike illogical and preposterous to im-
pugn a whole population of criminality because some in-
famous members of it are addicted tothnapnerpetra.tion
of
the darkest. deeds of moral, political,
d
Assassins and marauders there are undo
bte6 social
u
but
they are still distinct from the mass of the p 1
granted that those wretches are numerous,
neveprtuhealce s ;
es
they arc still but an infinitessinaal portion of the commu-
nity. Ireland, therefore, in an abstract sense, has an
infinite claim upon our sympathies, and this claim
becomes . only more apparent and more determinate GA letter, dated Vienna April 18, appears in the Augsburgh
as we descend to practical, and economical,
witzhet(tiei, announcing; that a courier from Berlin had arrived
e
and (if they can so be termed) selfish principles. three Po' ‘pvaetrcshiel s
ad
ar intimating that the repreosfenltastlisve of the
with re-
With an eye to its own stability, Government would, if spect to the
Repduebelilcoeft thatc the
Cracow,
owtreatyshould be observed, but
on that account only, be impelled to a consideration of ; that the urban militia sliould he disbauded, and that the
Irish wants ; the Ministry would be driven- to an in- three Powers stuirrld res,?rve to themselves the right of al-
ferferenee, if simply upon an economical- account, or ternately placing a garrison in the citadel every two years.
the 2ith, pub-
the e hele em- The Post Amp/ Gazette of Frankfort, of
with the purpose of relie‘inie itself and
fishes a 1 t
e tee from Vienna,flailing the repert the
tire of meat grievoa, encum,irxi,oe, Ever) Ono':.o
I.3IPEROR lbtvitig abohthed feuil4l seivice Aostrian
sp.res•od.reet tile attention of :he people •ot G•e it Britain
Galicia• It ycenfie:a-
Ireland, and to require of • aPPesrs that a fut, disto be raised bto the Limenteble exigencies of
tion of the property of absentee rebels, out of which the
the Legislature some active moremeut for their removal. i

instances might be adduced, but, unfortunately, they forn
'he xc,-.ption, the very :mall tnni,rity ; many calve
prevent the-great-majority cif thy. landlords front
.shtV,
3:?lves coming forward. In many instances heavy ETCUM.
trances L fleet the property, so that the nominal pos.
sesaor is in reality in the enjoyment of but a small
annuity from his eitatri, which are rtady managed

y receivers and mortgageer, who Lave no in

terest in the improvement of the property, and
care only for the punctual receipt of the interest money-;
in others the property is entailed on an elder son.
Every Tare shilling is necessarily appr-priated as a
provision for a numerous family of younger children,
who are but scantily portioned, and the owner of the
life estate will'not think of increasing the wealth of his
gilder son at the expense of his otl,er.children, purlieu.;
laxly as he cannot make any claim on the reversion for
.a
the value of the improvenvnts effected. These and
other causes bay,
prevented the great body of the land-
lords from
awmpting such improvements, and
it is litipeless to think that, if left in their bands, it will
from the
shoeeldeurisi. ti"
Lit h 3
ever take
been
to such tin extent as to relieve Ireland
difficulties in which she is placed. A private
undertaking, the Waste Lands Society," has been
~rined under the au.pices of Lord DEVON, and has
f
effected much public good, and we belit,ve that the
P the Government
fou ad a profitable
then
ionent torp ,t,
se,he slheatre it-
make universal the systena which has worked so well
wherever it has been adopter'. At present it is not
neces:ary to enter into the details by which it is to be
effected. Mr. P. &ROPE has introduced a measure into
the llouse of cowm,,,a, for this purpose, and we are
sure that its discussion will be of the greatest benefit.,
tied lead to the ,p.to ultimate ad -- et of s;-me valuable legis-
lative eeaettnent
. ,
Cu the subject.
A

..ecounts have been received from Hayti of the 19th ult.
It is not true that General PIERROT has abdicated. On the
19th he occulied his former pos,tion, and expressed his con-
fidence of ultimately defeating his adversaries.