The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-18 00:00:00

intelligence from that quarter, nor can it but be inte-
resting at the present juncture. Ltst night Parliament
resumed its sittings by taking under immediate con-
sideration the kind of legislation which should be
adopted towards the Irish multitude, and hence it be-
comes absolutely necessary to weigh every indi-
cation of mai. government by which the species
of correctives to be employed become more recog-
nisable, During some months it has been our un-
fortunate duty to comment upon the exigencies of that
wretched population, and to insist earnestly and inces-
santly upon the certainty there was of such ulterior
woes as would baffle the interposition and hamper the
movements of the Legislature. Again and again our voice
has been raised in supplication for the destitute millions of
Irish, and in warning against that accumulation of ills
by which the efficacy of any Government intervention
would then become null and powerless. Unless a more
rapid policy be adopted by Parliament in dealing with
the wants of Ireland—unless efforts of a more sponta-
neous nature be made in behalf of the famine-stricken
millions, the " Great Ministerial Difficulty" will
defy the ingenuity of the mass of remedy-mongers.
Circumspection is, undoubtedly, a wholesome adjunct
in legislation, but there are circumstances in which an
over-scrupulousness would be criminal in the rulers of
a great empire. When thousands are pinched with the
fiercest pangs of hunger ; when tumultuary crowds
defy the arm of the law by their insubordination ;
when whole parishes are abandoned to disease and
death, with nothing but poisonous food, it is as-
suredly not the moment to cavil over the
propriety of this detail or of that formality.
An awful example of this ill-timed controversy
has been given us by our illustrious and incomparable
llociran : every one will remember the picture in
which he delineates the heroine of Marriage a la 211 ode
expiring in acute torments, while the rival physicians
are wrangling over their panaceas. Here is the potion
—here is the inestimable pill; both are paraded as cer-
tain to prove remedial; but in the midst of the argu-
ments the patient attains the climax of the disorder, and
renders recovery through human power all but impossible.
There is a resenahlance in the comparison closer than
the superficial might at first conjecture. WILLIAM
H0c...1u11, in that production, advanced a great moral
truth of universal application ; what holds good in this
r, spect individually, holds good also in the multitude ;
what is appropriate in this particular to the physician, is
appropriate likewi-e to the legislator. Unless, therefore,
some speedier means be applied for the reclamation
of Ireland, the evils of famine, of contagion, of insubor-
dination, will exceed all ordinary bounds of uppression.
The great under-current is in motion; an effective
effort must be made at once, or the consequences must
prove dire beyond calculation. We do not aspire
to the post of those who would needlessly gene-
rate a panic; we abhor conduct of such wilful
atrocity; but when we behold so many thousands
of our fellow countrymen goaded on by starvation and
its dreadful concomitants, though we would still depre-
cate any undue precipitation, we would have the legis-
lative remedy advanced with vigour and alacrity ; with-
out any petty attention to the nainutite of separate clauses.
We cannot but hope that the Members of the Lower
House will perceive the real urgency of the case, and spurn
from their counsel anything like captious opposition. We
earnestly trust that, with the various indications of the
present mal-administration of affairs in Ireland—the
incessant and wholesale evictions—the indifference to the
effusion of blood—the riots around the flour-dray at
Tipperary, and the ferocious assault upon the mills, at
Clonmel—we earnestly trust, that with these sig-
nificant facts before them, a conscientious sense
of the responsibility which devolves upon them
will impel them to some conclusion forthwith. Accord-
ing to Freeman's Journal, the wretched beings who
mingled in the last-mentioned outbreak were "reduced to
the utmost extremity of distress; their bones protruding
through the skin which covered them." These are the
people for whose redemption from the jams of death, and
for whose preservation from anarchy, Government has to
legislate. They are not therefore a race admitting of a
tardy or elaborated policy. What good has to be done
in their regard, must be done at once. Delay is ruin.

The following letter from Cracow, dated April 5, is pub-
lished in the Universal German Gazette of the 12th :

" The officer of the militia, M. Ducillowicz, who betrayed
the conspirators to the authorities, and apprised them of the
hour fixed for the explosion of the insurrection, has been
struck with apoplexy, and is at present in the hospital. A
nervous fever prevails amongst the Austrian corps of occu-
pation in this city. Letters from Warsaw state that the Go-
vernor of that city has adopted strong measures to preserve
order. The troops sleep in the streets, and at 3 o'clock the
houses are closed. We are ignorant of the state of Galicia,
as all communication has been interrupted. We merely
know that the peasants had not yet returned to their duty.
The Austrian army had suffered some loss in the forest of
Niepolomidec. The insurgents dug pits, which they covered
with loose earth, and when the cavalry charged, several were
dismounted, and put to death without mercy. When in
want of provisions, the peasants advance to Bochnia, and
even to Wretitzka."

There are no later accounts from Madrid than those re—
ceived yesterday, which announced the accession of &lox
PIDAL, and ARMEE° to the IsrußxTz Cabinet, be which ISL.
ISTURITZ had been enabled to form a Government.
the favourite of Queen CHRISTINA, has been fore u to retire,
so that either CHRISTINA'S influence is failing or she is setting
alarmed. General SANZ, Captain-General of Grenada, had
joined the Cabinet as Minister of the War Department.
The ceremonies of the Holy Week commenced on the 9th.
The QUEEN, accompanied by MARIE CHRISTINA, the In-
fanta Luisa FEELMANDA, the Infant DON FRANCISCO I)13
PAULO, and a numerous and brilliant suite, went on foot to
seven churches, to fulfil the seven stations appointed by nth e
Church. Her MAJESTY washed the feet of twelve poor per-
sons of both sexes. The QUEEN and her mother wallte d
between two rows of pikemen, attired in the new uniform,
which is copied from the soldiers of the Prussian army. Th e
whole procession was witnessed by multitudes of people, wh o
were very orderly. Isrutaz, as President of the Council',
walked on the QUEEN'S right band.

General NORZAGAMAT had left for Estramadura, where lie
was to replace in command of that province General Amcwr.,
wl.e is recalled.

The announcement made in the Paris papers of the arrilml
of NA.RVAEZ in that city on the 15th is incorrect (indeed, it ;is
contradicted in the Paris papers received this morning). Ott
that day he was still at Bayonne.

The Madrid papers of the 9th state that the insurrecticm
in Galicia had been completely repressed. It is stated, th at
in consequence of attempts having been made to seduce Vae
troops in Catalonia from their allegiance, the Captain-Gen e-
ral of the province had issued a proclamation offering th, pir
discharge from the service and three ounces of gold to tote
soldiers who should denounce the persons engaged in th(nal.
attempts.

Don HENRY is still at Bayonne, but not under surveillamm.
"There is passing," says the Courier El anfais, "at present
at Bayonne a veritable comedy, On Monday the te►egraph
transmitted to the authorities of that city orders to cease all
surveillance over the Infante Don Henry, to pay him all tl to
honours due to his rank, and in his place to watch Gener tl
Narvaez, whose intrigues the Spanish Government, it appear I,
is apprehensive of. What renders this change the ram
amusing is that the police of France were set on the traces (if
Don Henry at the formal demand of Narvaez."
The Madrid Bolsa was closed on the 9th.

We have received the Paris papers of Wednesday. They
are almost exclusively filled with the report of the debate in.
the Chamber of Deputies on the Naval Budget on the day

preceding, and with comments on the speeches delivered on
that occasion. M. BILLAIILT, during the discussion, made a
furious attack on the Government, and was replied to by
Baron DE MACKAI:, the Minister of Marine, in a speech of
which the Presse says—
" Admiral de Mackau has not often obtained the appro—
bation of this journal. Our friends have even sometimes,
accused U 3 of a spirit of hostility with respect to him. We
shall to-day prove that we have never offered a systematic:
opposition to any one. We, therefore, declare that the,
honour of yesterday's sitting must be awarded to the Hon.. I
Minister. raken unawares, by a most aggressive speech.
of M. Billault, Admiral de Mackau, whom we have again, 11
found such as he was when ho first spoke in Parliament„
met the attack with a firmness and precision, which not-
withstanding
some appearance of fatigue towards the close
of his speech, constantly captivated the attention of the
Chamber."

In the course of his speech, the Minister, speaking of the
increase in the steam navy, said :—" We have augmented
the number of those vessels; we now possess 5 of from 460,
to 540 horse-power, 1 of 320, 9 of 220, 22 of 160, 1 of 150,.
17 of 120 and under, and, finally, 17 trans-Atlantic steamers ;,
so that, if the Chambers decide that the latter shall
belong to the royal navy, we have now at our disposal
72 steam-vessels." Ile concluded by annonncin g
his determination to maintain the number of ships of the
line at forty, and of frigates at sixty. The discussion 1,4-3,8
resumed on Wednesday by Admiral DE HELE, Who
was followed by M. THEIRS, who condemned the Ad-
ministration because it had not repaired the fau Its
of its predecessors. As France was a commercFtal
nation, it was necessary that she should have a nary, but it
should be remembered that France was essentially a cc,n_
tinental power. He then compared the relative forces of the
French and English navies, and expressed it as his opini on,
that at Bea France was in no condition to compete with
England.
It was reported in the Chamber that the Deputies wetald
have firth led their labours by the 31st of May, that .tht
Peers wottld rise between the 15th and 20th of June, emit
that a dissolution would immediately follow, so as to hamt
the elections in July.

King Louts Pirrtirrz went, on Wednesday, to Fontaine-
bleau, to inspect the preparations ordered by him for the se-
ception of Queen VICTORIA.
The Awitrian, Prussian, and Turkish Ambassadors, Lord
and Lady CoWLET, and several English noblemen and
ladies of distinction, were present on Tuesday at a grand,
dinner given by M. GUIEOT to Lord and Lady PAIXERATON,
The strike among the colliers at St. Etienne is said to be
subsiding,, and there were hopes that they will return to
work in a few days.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE is in Paris. He has tai:en
up his abode at the Hotel Meaurige.
113 4111Y•iteur, Of tho 15th, outaim A royal 9rdaugo