The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8, 1870.

land scheme of which fixity of tenure is
but one item, live in a free land, and can of course
demand what they please. But most of them profess
to support the conciliatory intentions of the Govern-
ment. They are aware of the disorder which is

prevalent, and the outrages which are common,
throughout the country. They are equally aware
that their projects, even if practicable, are too late to
be of service. And yet, at the eleventh hour, they
do not scruple to complicate a difficult situation by
i putting forward a scheme which they know to be
impossible, and which can only further inflame the
populace by strengthening their delusive hopes. Some-
thing better than this display was reasonably to be ex-
pected by the Government from its "friends." If
this meeting wished to influence the decisions of the
Ministry, why was it not held sooner ? What
can be the object of such a course, unless
it is to be interpreted as a declaration of
hostility to the ruling body, for which so
, much friendship has been professed ? In face of such
a proclamation it only remains for the Ministry to
quietly pursue its legislative programme with a
resolute determination to uphold, or rather to restore,
the authority of the Crown. There is something
inexpressibly mean and forbidding in this dis-
position to exact more after every fresh concession,
and it is a disposition which must be dealt with un-
hesitatingly. It will certainly be well not to seek
exceptional powers at the present juncture ; it will
be well if such an extremity can be avoided alto-
gether. But any alternative ought to be accepted
in face of the continued agrarian slaughter by men
for whom a representative Irish conference—for such
the Dublin meeting was—claims fixity of tenure as
one item amongst many.

THE journals devoted to the sports of country
gentlemen belong to a highly respectable class of
literature. They are ably conducted, and profound
in their way. Nothing can be more admirable,
or more humiliating to the non-sporting mind, than
their finished style of holding forth on horse and dog
questions, on field and farm. But we find a deplo-
rable falling off when the exciting topic of game
comes up. Either the sporting. side of the game
question is indefensible, or the sporting
journals are hopelessly illogical, or like
county members of Parliament, they lose all their
ordinary capabilities, and go wild with rage when
the legislation so obnoxious to farmers is attacked.
Certain it is that their effusions on this subject are of
the strangest character. Land and Water, for example,
in its review of the shooting season, tells us that,
" notwithstanding the enormous depredations that we
have heard of committed upon tenant farmers by
the over-preservation of game, we cannot
observe that it has affected the prices of either the
corn market or the root market, a thing that
must naturally haVe occurred had the crops been
injured to the ex tent we are asked to believe they
were." If the Game Laws had been passed a year ago
and the last season had furnished the earliest experienc e
of over-preservation, this argument might have had its
place. The Game Laws are, however, of old
standing, and so is over-preservation. An influence
that is continuous cannot have any special effect in
one particular year. If the Game Laws altered the
price of grain or roots, they must have done so long
ago, and all succeeding prices have been regulated
in proportion. The reply is so obvious as to seem
ridiculous; but, in truth, it seems needful to dis-
cuss the game question on childish princi-
ples. It is not likely that over-preservation
ever had any great effect on prices. Still,
there can be no doubt that the grievance is a
substantial one, the destruction to the crop is a
reality, and if the public reaped no great benefit
from a change, it is not the less the farmer's
right. It is true that farmers take their
holdings " with their eyes open ;" but as there are
very few holdings without an enforcement of the
Game Laws they have roally nochoice. The matter is,
indeed, one for contract between the farmers and the
landlord; but if the laws were altered, there would
be still room for all reasonable contracts, and the
tenant would not be in a. helpless position in case of
injustice. Four-footed game at least ought to be
given up as a special right of the landlord.

1111SCELLANEOUS NE 1 S.

THE COURT.

The season, so far as royalty and the fashionable
world are concerned, promises to be busier than some
of its late predecessors. A Court for the reception
of the Corps Diphmatique, the Ministers, and other
official personages, will be held on the 23th of February.
Drawing rooms are fixed for the 9th and 22nd of March,
and a lev6e for the 11th of March. It is understood
that the Queen will be present at all these receptions.
In addition, the Prince of Wales will hold a lei 6e
in March and in April on her Majesty's behalf.

the government. Tho Marquis of Ulanricarde
moved a resolution to the effect that the
meeting cordially approved of the suggestions
of the Commissioners, relative to consolidation, and a
reduction of fares and rates. Sir A rthur Gore said that
whenever an attempt had been made at manufacture in
Ireland, the sister Parliament had taken care to anni-
hilate it. Prohibitions had been successively placed on
the exportation to England of their cattle, their salt
beef, woollen goods, and silk manufacture. The
English Times asked why had not the manufacturing
resources of Ireland increased since the prohibitory
laws were repealed ? His answer was that steam
had since come into use, and Ireland being deficient
in coal, she could not regain her former chances of
successful commerce. They now asked Parliament
to assist them in this matter of the railways.
He would say to England, "Let bygones be
bygones; be generous to us now, for there was
a time when you were not so." Upwards of ten re-
solutions were passed by the meeting, expressing
chiefly sentiments of acquiescence in the plans laid
down by the Commissioners, a wish for large reduc-
tions in fares, and a lower rate of interest on loans to
railways. It was urged also, in one of the resolutions,
that as the land question is about to be dealt with,
the present juncture was favourable for the considera-
tion of the railway question, the value of land being
materially affected by the Irish railways.