The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-12 00:00:00

culars which tend to render this case so pe-
culiarly flagrant; the victim of this petty tyranny
from a police-constable of the G- division is not
merely a defencelcsa, harmless, and respectable
woman, but she is a woman eight months advanced
in pregnancy. In consequence of the brutality
of this man (or rather of this person
dressed in the garments of a man), the consequence
of this violence towards a woman in an advanced
stage of pregnancy is, that she vomited blood imme-
diately on returning home. She was exceedingly
bruised and ill for a considerable time afterwards.

We are not surprised when we view these parti-
culars—partieulars so calculated to excite our indig-
nation—we are not surprised that the Learned
Counsel, Mr. CLARKSON, should have felt convinced
that the Counsel for the defendant " could not even
suggest anything to the prejudice of this highly
respectable woman ;" but we were marvellously
astonished that Mr. PAYNE should have so far ex-
ceeded what was thus anticipated from him, as to
have accused the plaintiff and her witnesses of false-
hood,to have asserted, without any reasonable evidence,
that this wife of a tradesman—this woman big with
child—had joined in an uproarious mob,and above all to
have actually maintained—and that without disprov-
ing the bruises and the blood-vomiting—that more
violence was not used than was necessary ! We
shall not comment upon the indelicacy, extravagance,
and almost cruelty, which are of themselves
so manifest in this style of defence. We care not so
much for the manner in which the defendant or his
legal advisers endeavour to palliate his brutality, as
for the example which the punishment of this man
should afford against any similar exhibition
of petty despotism in the metropolitan or
provincial police forces. With the sentence passed
upon the defendant—namely, an imprisonment for
merely a single calendar month !—we must ac-
knowledge ourselves anything but satisfied. The
jury find him guilty, and he is sentenced to this
' imprisonment for one calendar month ! Not
a syllable is reported to have been said
respecting his discharge from the metropolitan
police. Surely it is not intended that a man
who has thus grossly insulted and maltreated a preg-
nant woman, should, after having been found guilty of
that charge by a jury of his countrymen, and after
having undergone a certain punishment (however
disproportioned to his offence) in consequence, should
be allowed to continue in his former position, with
fresh opportunities for insulting and maltreating the
wives of respectable citizens ? We cannot suppose
this to be possible.

The attention of the Irish landlords has been
thoroughly awakened to the circumstances in which
they are placed, and various suggestions are offered
from day to day for the consideration of the Govern-
ment. Food must be provided for the starving multi-
tudes, and the obvious and natural source from whence
that provision is to be obtained is the land of the
country. The necessities of all must be fully met by
the produce of the soil, before any portion can be applied
to the superfluities of any. It has been well stated in
the memorial of the Central Relief Committee of
the baronies of Upper and Lower Dells and Fore, to
the Lord Lieutenant, " that the case which they are
now called on to meet differs, not only in degree, but
also in the nature of the evil, from that which they
had to contemplate last season." Last year there
was a pressing but temporary deficiency, and
there was a reasonable ground for hoping
that on the arrival of the next harvest

the emergency would have passed away, and
that the ordinary channels of supply would have
been available to the public support. That expecta-
tion has vanished. The evil must now be dealt with
as a permanent one. It would indeed evince a sad
want of foresight, an idiotic blindness, if some means
were not adopted to produce a greater quantity and
different quality of food for the multitude from that
which has been withdrawn from their use. This can
only be produced by an increased degree of cultiva-
tion, an extra quantity of labour applied to the soil,
and a more judicious selection of the description of
crops to be raised therefrom. Few who are entirely
dependent on a single crop will venture on one so
likely to yield no return as the potato. The farmers
will scarcely be willing again to risk the chance of
such a lottery, or to let their ground for such a
purpose to persons who, in the event of a
failure, will be wholly unable to remu-
nerate them therefor. There must be means
adopted for the adequate employment of the
labouring population, so that each man may be cer-
tain, in return for his exertion, of procuring a suffi-
ciency of plain food for himself and family, and the
shelter of an humble roof. This he has a right to
demand from his country, and it must be provided
for him, whatever may be the difficulties, the impe-
diments in the way of so doing. The necessity is
admitted by all—the only question is as to the means
by which it may be effected. Last year large sums
were raised by voluntary contributions. It can
scarcely be expected that similar funds can be pro-
cured to meet the present distress. Many, who gave
freely according to their means, would be unable to
eford an equal subscription at present. Neither
would it be just, if it were practicable, to look solely
to voluntary gifts ; those who are disposed to act most
justly to provide employment on their own estates

for persons having a fair claim thereto, would also be
disposed to act most generously, and thus a double
burden would be imposed on them, while the
heartless and inhuman would escape the performance
of a solemn duty. Neither would it be just that the
means should be provided from the public ex-
chequer ; if that were to be the case; the industry,
the labour of the nation at large, would be taxed

for the benefit of a class. It would shift the re-
sponsibility of providing for the labouring poor from
the laud to which they belonged, and which is pe-
culiarly chargeable therewith, to the nation at large.
Every consideration of justice and policy forbids such
a course. The true principle is that recently laid
down by Mr. MoNsEnn,,himself a large landed pro-
prietor, viz.—that every owner of land must employ the
pour belonging to that land. If this be carried into
execution, he will speedily find some productive
labour on which to occupy them, and no longer
permit their energies to be expended on that which
can yield no return. Public works may answer very
well as a temporary expedient, but in a short time
all that are really useful in the district will be exe-
cuted, and then the lands must be charged for that
which is absolutely useless, when the labour which
would be required therefor might he so much more
beneficially applied. That labour for which the land
is compelled to pay should be employed in developing
the productive power of the land. The necessity for
the interference of the State is to compel a certain
quantity of land to provide for a certain quantity of
labour ; if the owner or occupier of that land is
willing to do so,- he should be permitted to select the
manner of that employment himself. In such a case
he will be certain to apply it in the most bene-
ficial and advantageous channel. A labour
rate should be imposed on the land sufficient
for the remuneration of the persons requiring employ-
ment, but a drawback should be allowed therefrom
for the actual amount paid for labour by the person
chargeable. If one hundred acres of land should be
chargeable with the maintenance of ten labourers, the
owner should fairly be discharged ..from any pay-
ment, if he can clearly and satisfactorily prove that
he has kept ten men in constant occupation. He
should be only bound to pay the balance not so ex-
pended ; the means of acting on this system might be
difficult but not impracticable. A register should be
kept in every district of the persons for whom em-
ployment should be provided, and an apportionment
of the quantity of labour, so as to ascertain the quan-
tity fairly chargeable against each acre in proportion
to its value. A local board should be constituted
whose duty it would be to investigate that
any credit claimed by the person chargeable
was a fair and bond fide one, and let them sanction
the drawbacks claimed. By such means, where
every member of the board would be interested in
preventing any evasion of fair responsibility, a strict
superintendence might be kept over the entire dis•
trict, and the burden fairly and equitably distributed. I
It is only by some such means that the emergency
can be met. It may press heavily on some who are
already embarrassed and encumbered, but, as we
have already said, such persons must withdraw from
positions the duties incidental to Which they are un-
able to discharge, and leave an opening for others
who have the ability. Whether the improvidence