The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-19 00:00:00

sures "as useless and unnecessary, and an interrup-
tion to the peace." He confessed that they
had arrived at that resolution from having
carefully deliberated the operation of so obnoxious an
enactment; that they were impelled to make an im-
mediate announcement of that resolution from the
circumstance of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland
having declared himself fully prepared to undertake
the government of the sister country without such
tyrannical and superfluous assistance ; and that they
were satisfied no pernicious consequences would
result from such an abolition, especially
as the recent returns have displayed a very consider-
able diminution of the dreaded offences. It is im-
possible not to rejoice in a determination so gene-
rously conceived and so valorously avowed. The
Arms Bill may now be numbered among those
blundering pieces of legislation which have retreated
into oblivion proportionately with the advancement
of civilisation. If remembered at all, it will only be
remembered as another of the melancholy bygones of
an ignorant and pusillanimous tyranny.
Intimately associated with this most important
withdrawal was the Ministerial announcement as to
the distress at present existing in Ireland. On Satur-
day last we took occasion to particularise the various
indications of deficiency in provisions, and upon the
vegetable contagion which is now scorching up.
into a poisonous pulp the leguminous food of the po-
pulation. Extravagant and exaggerated as the de-
scription might have appeared, appalling as were the
details, dismal as was the general picture, our state-
ments have been fully corroborated by the declare-
tions of Lord Joins RUSSELL. The pestilential disease
which last season infected the potatoes has re-ap-
peared at a much earlier period than on the for-
mer occasion, it has extended itself much wider over
the crops, and has developed itself much more vio-
lently than heretofore. It withers the foliage into an
unsightly and pestiferous rottenness —it cor-
rupts the very core of the tubers —it causes
foul and intolerable exhalations to rise from
the soil—it deprives thousands of their natural
nourishment, and produces fever and cholera, as
well as penury and famine. As to the authenticity
of this account; the letter of Colonel JONES to Mr.
Under-See;cetary REDJNGTON, must be regarded as a
concl'asive testimony. " The conclusion on my
mind," says he, "is that the potato crop is unfit for
human food to the extent of three-fourths !"
In introducing this matter to the attention
of Parliament, the Premier took occasion to enume-
rate the various extraordinary measures adopted by
the late Government for the alleviation of the suffer-
ing consequent upon the previous emergency. We
have ourselves already' catalogued those measures,
and, consequently, any recapitulation is altogether
superfluous. Excellent, however, as were the
proceedings of the Peel Administration during
that important juncture—the importation of Indian
corn, the presentments for the purpose of public
works, and the bounties on several imminent occa-
sions—Lord J. RUSSELL acknowledged himself un-
prepared to resort to any arrangements of the same de-
scription, considering them, as he did, only authorised
by moments of extreme and alarming difficulty.
The purchasin,i of provisions in foreign mar-
kets from the resources of the Treasury was, to
his thinking, a precedent likely, if continued, to
prove most pernicious to individual enterprize, and
calculated to disorganize the system chf commerce
generally. In like manner, he considered that espe-
cial grants for the prosecution of public works would
have an effect detrimental to the national interest, be-
cause the labouring classes would abandon their private
employers to seek occupation under the patronage of
the Government officials. For these reasons, and
from a moral conviction "that the prospects of the
potato crop are even worse and more distress-
ing than they were last year," Lord Jour;
RUSSELL deemed it advisable to endeavour, by
some rational and systematic arrangement, to
overcome the difficulties which were promised
for the ensuing winter. He proposed that public
works should be undertaken, but that the expenses of
those undertakings should be defrayed by loans, to be
repaid by the barony or county wherever the baronies
or counties were ;ufficiently affluent to meet such
requisitions. He proposed, moreover, that in the
case of such districts as were so destitute as
tol preclude the possibility of such repayment,
the charge of undertaking works for the employ-
ment of the poorer class, should be covered by a
soma a 30,000/., proposed to be granted for that pur-
pose by especial Act of Parliament. There are
sundry details in this propositiim, such as the interest
upon the moneys borrowed from the Treasury being
simply 3i per cent., the summoning of a barony
session and a county session, by command of the
Lord-Lieutenant, the obligation of that session to
find adequate employment for the necessitous, and
the levying for the purpose of repaying these
advances being made according to the valuation
or assessment of the county, so that the more
indigent classes of occupiers might be relieved from
assessment; but those measures, while they modify
the application of the plan, are merely the filling up
or the outlines. The proposition is, in short, nothing
,pore nor less than a demand for a description of
,!xtra.,rdinary poor-rate, and one which, considering
all circumstances, is fully and especially justified.
As a means of binding the whole complication
of these arrangements together, a multitude of com-
missariat officers will be scattered throughout the
island in direct and constant correspondence with Sir
RANDOLPH ROUTH, the Chief of the Commissariat
Department in Dublin.
The Irish p.bpulation will be grateful to Govern
merit for so irnine,linte and parries' a reNpouse to thfi,-
~upplications for vs,istance. And we are. unhappily
convinced that the scheme of Lord JOHN RUSSELL is
in no respect premature, as it is not difficult to per-
ceive the shadows of famine and pestilence now im-
pending over Ireland.

Previous to going into a Committee of Supply on
Monday Lcrd G. BENTINCK called the attention of the
House to the subject of the carrying trade between
this country and the Spanish colonies. It is 'un-
doubtedly a question of grave importance to the ship-
ping interest; and, although we totally disapprove of the
means suggested by the Noble Lord for accomplish-
ing the desired object, we must admit that if the sub-
jects with which he has recently so often taken up
the attention of the Legislature, and the end and
object of his speeches, were as valuable to the country
as that lest evening brought forward, his absence from
his accustomed relaxation and amusement on the
moors would not be so deeply to be regretted by
the nation. A new broom, it is said, sweeps clean,
and Lord GEoRGE is unwilling that anything
should remain unenlightened by his wisdom.
In his new capacity, as a statesman, he ex-
hibits the same activity and desire for full
occupation that he formerly did as a sportsman.
Race meetings are neglected ; the moors are de-
serted, while Lord GEORGE rehearses a variety of
figures, which being far beyond the comprehension of
the greater number of the gentlemen who have
selected him for their leader, are, of course, supposed
by them to be something very profound indeed.
They are quite willing to take " °nine ignotum pro
mar-nil:co," and, to suppose that the man who has so
fully succeeded in puzzling themselves, must be quite
competent to fill the post of Prime Minister, or
Chancellor of the Exchequer at the very lest.
Lord GEORGE cannot, however, get rid of his affec-
tion for the old system, his horror of free trade; he
can see no way of setting aside the restrictions
affecting our commerce with Spain, save by
the adoption of similar measures on our own
part; he cannot conceive that a juster and a
wiser mode of proceeding on our part will
probably be met in a similar spirit by Spain.
He cannot see that hitherto sugar, the principal
staple production of the Spanish colonies, has been
practically excluded from the English market by the
high differential duties. Our own policy towards
Spain has been one of restriction ; and it is little to
be wondered at if a corresponding system has grown
up in her colonies. Now, however, happily a dif-
ferent c,)urse has been adopted. The SiliOlr
Bill last night received its third reading in the [louse
of Lords, and, on receiving the royal assent will, in
a few days, become the law of the land. Much benefit
must result therefrom to Spain ; and there is every
reason to suppose that we shall, in return, receive
some concession fir the advantages thus afforded.
The moment we take the produce of these colonise in,
subsage for our manufactures, every encouragement