The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-29 00:00:00

threw a light upon the spirit in which .the union
was carried into effect. The agreement under which
the union was carried was broken, and one of its princi-
pal conditions altogether refused; nor was it until twenty-
nine years after the passing of that Act of Union that
the condition to which he had alluded had been ac-
quiesced in. It Sias well understood as part of the agree-
ment that the Act of Union was to be accompanied by a
measure relieving the Catholics from the disabilities
under Which they had laboured for years, and particu-
larly from the reign of Queen Anne. Yet, instead of
agreeing to that condition, coercive laws were passed—
martial law was passed—the Habeas Corpus Act was
suspended, and it was not until twenty-nine years subse-
quent to the passing of the union that one of its principal
conditions was agreed to. They all were well acquainted
with the consequences which had followed from the tin-
' just enactments which were passed with respect to Ire-
land, and particularly the laws passed in Queen Anne's
reign, which inflicted such intolerable disabilities on the
Catholics, the effects of which those Acts were the
causes were still in operation, and they were painfully
exhibited in the condition of Ireland. The tithe question
was another subject with regard to which the people
of Ireland had the strongest reason to complain,
and from which they still suffered; and although the
Noble Lord on a former occasion brought forward an
address in opposition to it, and although a measure was
brought in for the commutation of tithes, yet the people of
Ireland paid them now just as much as they did befhre.
That was the case, although the Noble Lord at the head of
the Government had on a former occasion moved an ad-
dress to the effect that the surplus revenues of the Church
in Ireland ought to be applied to the improvement of the
moral and intellectual education of all classes, regardless
of their religious opinions. What did the House think
was the amount of the annual tithes nt present paid to
the clergy of the Established Church in Ireland? It was
:378,0004 per annum, whilst the revenue of the Church
lands was ?01,0001.,-thus making in all a sum of half a
million which was extracted from a suffering and dis-
tressed population. And what purpose was this sum ex-
tracted for? Why to support the religion of less than one-
twelfth of the people. The Presbyterian clergy were paid
by the State, and the Catholics had to pay their own
clergy, thus they paid in a double sense, although
there were such large revenues attached to the Pro-
testant Church in Ireland, a Church of one-twelfth of
the people. The only measure which had the colour of
being advantageous; to Ireland was the poor-law, and
that was one which showed the greatest want of know-
ledge on the part of those who framed it of the consti
tution of Ireland. It was not practicable, in fact, for it
provided that relief should be supplied only to those
1, ho went inside the workhouse--a thing quite imprsc-
ticuble in Ireland; and: when the time of famine and
distress came, there was the greater difficulty in apply
ing the remedy from the imperfection of the original
Act. Why had they not employed the people of Ireland
on reproductive labour when they had such an amount of
waste land in that country? The employment of the
people was wholly disregarded, and then they talked of
the condition of the country. What had been done for the
improvement of the condition of the people in Ireland?
The Landlord and Tenant Bill had been brought in this
session and would be abandoned, a matter which he
did not much regret, for it was nut nt all calculated to
effect the ebjrct which it proposed. Why was the tenant-
right not recognised ? A landlord-end-tenant Commis-
sion was issued in 1843 under the administration of the
Hight lion. Alex:l6er for Tamworth, and a great deal of
information on that important subject, the relations be-
tween landlord and tenant in Ireland, was obtained.
But what had it produced ? what had been done with
respect to the tenant-right ? Nothing ; and yet it was
a subject witn respect to which the Orangemen of Ulster
felt a great interest. They had met and passed a reso-
lution to the eff€ ct that the Bill brought in by the Right
Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir W. Somerville) was a gross
robbery and injustice to the people of the north, by de-
stroying tenant-right, and handing over all power to
the landlords. just measures had been too long re-
fused or delayed by that House, and thus all
the evils of Ireland had been produced. Why were
not means adopted to effx:ct the reclamation of the waste
lands ? The people were allowed to starve whilst
five millions of acres of improvable land were left uncul,
tivated in Ireland.—(Bear, hear.) There were two
modes of improving the condition of the people in Ire-
land—either to employ them in reclaiming the waste
lands, or to afford them the means of emigrating; but
so long as there were waste lands to reclaim, ho did not
see the policy of expending money on emigration. A Bill
had been introduced into that House of the greatest im-
portance, ns affecting the interests of Ireland—a Bill for
enabling landlords under entail to execute improvements,
and to charge the inheritance with them. He, in con-
junction with the Hon. Member for Limerick, had taken
charge of that Bill. But her Majesty's Government did
not approve of the machinery in that Bill, although they
did approve of the principle. He was, therefore,
hopeless of any good result from it, as he could not
introduce any other system of machinery than
that which he had proposed. The . measure was
one which could only succeed when introduced and
pressed on by the Government. Another important
measure which it would be necessary to introduce, was
ono by which some charge should be placed upon Kbsen-
tee proprietors, the charge to be applied to the relief of
the poor, and to he based upon the principle of poor-law
taxation. It was absolutely necessary that name well-
considered plan of public works should be taken up by
the State. In this country such a system was not re-
quired, but it was very different in Ireland. There it
was essentially necessary for the interest of the State
that great public works should be undertaken under the
sanction and authority of the Government. He alluded
particularly to the laying down of great trunk lines of
railway—one from Dublin to some western port, which
would form a means of carriage tor transatlantic mer-
chandise, would be of vast advantage. When he look,ed
at the progress of those measures introduced for .he
alleviation of Ireland, he found no less reason to
complain. When ho referred to her Majr,sty's
Speech from the throne, in which she recommended
the House, to devise measures for the social
improvement of Ireland, which would, at the same
time, show a due regard for the rights of property,
what had been done in accordance with that recommen-
dation? The House pledged itself to carry it out. And
how has that pledge been fulfilled? The first coercion
Act was brought in; it was called a Bill for the Pro-
tection of Life and Property in Ireland; it was passed
under the pledge that ameliorative measures would
speedily be proposed. Upon the faith of that promise,
the Liberal party agreed with great unanimity to the
Bill. In accordance with the promise given, some Bills
were brought in, but only one of them, the Incumbered,
Estates Bill, made any progress. Then followed tlee
Bill for the Better Security of the Crown. He world
not advert to the last Coercion Act, which was catered
with unprecedented speed; and now they bad reason
to believe that no measure of amelioration would be
carried through that session. As to the Incumbered
Estates Bill, it was good in principle, but very little
benefit could be derived from it, as it was impos-
sible that large quantities of land would, under
present circumstances, be brought into the market.
The only Bill which could have been of any value.
was the Landlord and Tenant Bill. The Landlotd
and Tenant Bill, as it now stood, had been deprived of
all the clauses which were of any value. A Landlord
and Tenant Bill which would give satisfaction should be
one which would enable the tenant without trouble to ob-
tain all the benefit of the labour and capital which he
had expended, and to sell his interest in the land. A.
Bill of that nature would give encouragement for im-
provement, such es was never yet given in any former
time. In his district, where that principle was main-
tained, it had the most beneficial results. The rate cl
laahndesaz oarnddi ng
the
t o the
farms
population
generally wasra o t
edn e
aatc re and e
eleven
ac h. r
er, 1t
s
and a half. The question of tenant-right was very dear
to the people, and it went far to make that of the
repeal of the union as one of secondary importance.
There was another Bill brought in, that tor theto
relief of the evicted poor. It was mean
months • it came down
ptirooot.ec t
Itthheadpepoapssleed ftrhoem consequencesnooselt
waso tethviecn-
suspended for nearly ten ,
to this House, and certain amendments having._ been.
otherthe
e d to be derived from it, the 811 I was
the good proposed
and the
sent back and stood for discussion night,thatbe
made in it which would have the effect of annihilating
be the feelings of the Iris „peep e
(Hear.) What must
h t' speed coercion after
probability was that it might never con.sihdered.r
when they considered with
w a 11 when they reflected
coercion Acts had been passed, and
the savingof
been suspended for
hun-
dreds of thousands of lives, h
ten months, before the
g a passage from the
speech of t
a law. He could not forbear House determined
qwhen
be Noble Lord in 1846 , speaking of the
temptation issionoefo tcrimeie
thatto pass
this it
systemint
ofo
parent of:—" However ignorant
many of us may be of the state of Ireland, we have here
the best evidence that can be procured, the evidence of i
persons
best acquainted with that country—of ma,
eviotio n to
was the
theco mm
trstcs fur many years, of farmers, of those who have
employed by the Crown—and all tell you that, the
possession of land is that which makes the difference
.
gsde,idnnor the world's law;
between existing and starving amongst the peasantry, and
that therefore ejections out of their holdings are the
cause of siolence and criiemehme
taihnkeelsrgearlaet:etmd
m. p
at
tempter
en
srfuacgogetf,,ishttuiimst no
s
other than the cause
übeeseuure describes whenwhh
misery.
The a reason to violate the law :
hi as c:1 hack a
thyn g Faminesfrr
iaegni
Need and oppression atarveth in thine eyes,
Upon thy
The world
The world affords no law to make thee rich:
Then be not poor, but break it.'
Such is the incentive which is given to the poor Irish
peasant to break the law, which he considers deprives him
of the means not of being rich, but of the means of ob-
taining a subsistence." Notwithstanding this, the Noble
Lord was nut prepared to remove that temptation and
that incitement to insurrection which this state of things
produced. Ho was not prepared to lay the foundation
of a better order of things, which would withdraw the
people from the influence of those who excited them to
treason. The Noble Lord referred to the danger of
causing the people of Ireland to believe that they passed
measures of coercion because there were other measures
more relating to England, and for the benefit of Eng-
land, utak r consideration. " Look (says the Noble
Lord), what an argument you give to the repealers.
They will say, ' You miserable peasants, shut up from
sunset to sunrise, obliged to keep within your miserable
hovels ; if you are found looking for a stray cow, or visit-
ing an acquaintance who lives a few yards from you, you
are liable to tratssportatiou ; but it is net for the security
of the lives of the people among whom you live, but it is
because English measures were passing through Parlia-
ment at the same time ; and it is for the sake of those
measures that these restrictions are inflicted upon you.
Now tell us, aye or no, is the Parliament of England or
Scotland a fit legislature for Ireland ? Will you not seek
for a doniestic legislature—will you not use your utmost
endeavours to obtain repeal?' Why, what answer would
there be to such an appeal but a unanimous shout, a unit.