The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-26 00:00:00

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LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26, 1833.

The Irish Bill of Lord GREY (unless greatly mo-
dified) is a melancholy specimen of legislation for a
Reforming Ministry to bring before a Reformed
Parliament. If the Government had demanded
10,000 additional troops, or twice that number, and
announced its intention to coerce the people of Ire-
land, Catholics and Protestants—to afford protec-
tion to ALL, and make the laws respected and
obeyed by ALL—to put down Whitefeet and White-
boys, Orangemen, and the Orange constabulary
force, without distinctioT—the proposition would
have been intelligible-7the proceeding might have
been violent, but the principle would have smacked

of justice.
The Bill brought forward by Ministers is an un-
worthy imitation of their predecessors, who, at in-
tervals, systematically visited Ireland with similar
enactments, to uphold the odious tithe system
and Orange ascendancy; and the present
wretched state of that unhappy country affords a
practical illustration of the consequences. What
reasonable expectation is there that the pending
8.11, embodying similar, if not worse provisions, will
be productive of better results ? Will it not per-
petuate faction—enable a minority of little more
than one-eighth, to insult, oppress, and goad to
desperation the other seven-eighths of their country-
men? Its provisions can only be enforced by arming
Orangemen against Catholics, by delivering the latter
into the hands of their enemies, those modern Phi-
listines, an Orange Magistracy, and constabulary
force,—a party forCe, that as often provokes as re-
presses violence, and not 'infrequently commits ex-
cesses as criminal as those it is its ostensible duty to
put down. Judging from past experience, there is
too much reason to fear the scenes of 1798 will be
renewed, when Mr. STANLEY may secure a niche
in the temple of Fame beside his predecessor, Lord
CASTLEREAGH, whose name will live while history
lasts, the envy of no man.
The policy of Ministers, touching Ireland, resem-
bles the breath of a satyr,—with one breath they
soothe the anguish of past misrule by bringing for-
ward in the House of Commons a measure of
Church Reform, which may never pass the Lords;
with
.the next they seem to destroy the hopes they
had inspired, by bringing forward the Bill the Lords
have passed, with the concurrence of the Conser-
vatives of Charles-street, whose support suffi-
ciently characterizes its principle. If the latter
Bill should pass the Commons, and the former
be thrown out by the Lords, what will then
be the state and the fate of Ireland ? Mr.
STANLEY, it is true, threatens, if both be not
passed, Ministers will resign—had the threat been
confined to one resignation, the public sentiment
would not have been equivocal. The Right Hon.
Gentleman has declared that "a Government must
be feared in order to be loved.' Having been inocu-
lated by the Orangemen who infest the purlieus of
the castle, with the fearand dread they entertain that
the days of plunder and oppression are passing away,
he (influenced by this fear) first advocates the Bill,
and then (with him love follows fear) proclaims his
affectionate regard for the Irish people ! I
Lord MELBOURNE, when advocating the Bill in
the House of Lords, admitted that "redress of
grievances is the best way of putting an end to dis-
turbances." The Bill is now before a Reformed
House of Commons, who, we trust, will fulfil the
honest expectations of the country, and legislate on
the just and sound principle admitted by Lord MEL-
BOURNE in debate, that " redress of grievances is
the best way to put an end to disturbances,"—
and, if the Bill be passed in any shape, take ample
care that remedial measures shall accompany it hand
in hand, and that it shall not have any operation till
those measures are placed beyond jeopardy in the
Lords.

Since the above was written, we have received
an account of a great Meeting which took place
yesterday, at Birmingham—and a full report of
which will be found in another page—in which
the conduct of the Ministers towards Ireland, as
respects their coercive measures, was made the sub-

ject of very severe animadversion. We cannot but
again entreat Ministers to take timely warning by
this sign of the times, and so modify the obnoxious
clauses in the Bill, that it may obtain the support
of all well-wishers of a Reform Ministry, without
unnecessarily trenching upon that birthright of the
subject—Constitutional liberty.

By two lengthy advertisements which figure in
the front columns of a morning contemporary , we
perceive that the work of wholesale confiscation in
Poland goes ou with portentous rapidity. The
Russian Nero does not do his work by halves. He
is not turned from his purpose by any idle com-
punctious visitings of conscience—we wonder whe-
ther he has ever read or heard of such a word?—but
presses straight on to the end, banishing—impri-
soning—confiscating—and dyeing his every step in
blood, as if such acts were among the favourite
pastimes—the legitimate occupations—the heredi-
tary duties of a Russian Czar, the sole implied
conditions on which he accepts the imperial throne.
The advertisements in question, contain a copious
catalogue of the confiscated estates in Volhynia, by
which it appears that the whole, or nearly the whole
province, is at this moment actually on sale I This
notification is made in the most terse, business-like
fashion, and reads, for all the world, just like one of
GEORGE ROBINS' auction advertisements. The
Czar announces his intention of selling, not a petty
es►ate, or even a diminutive Duchy, but a whole
Polish province, with all its live-stock, consisting of
some hundreds of thousands of men, women, and
children, with a coolness and sang froid which an
English Nobleman compelled to part with his
patrimonial estates, would find it vain to equal.
He puts tip—the Imperial slave dealer—human life
to auction ! He traffics—thellmperial butcher—in
human flesh and blood! See what it is to be a
Legitimate ! See what it is to be possessed of " the
right divine of Kings to govern wrong !"
A word, nay, a whisper, from England and
France, spoken in due season, would have prevented
this unparalleled outrage on humanity. But that
word was not spoken—that whisper was not
breathed—and what is the consequence ? The noblest
nation in all Europe is at this very moment on the
verge of absolute annihilation.

There is to be a meeting to-day between a Depu-
tation of the West India Interest and the Govern-
ment, in order to arrange, if possible, some plan for
a settlement of the differences at issue. The fol-
lowing plan, from the Morning Advertiser, was
pretty generally talked of yesterday in circles sup-
posed to be well-informed on the subject :

" The plan digested by Ministers for the emancipation of the
slaves in our West India settlements, and for the relief of the
Planters, was communicated on Saturday last to several distin-
guished individuals interested in West India property, which
it is expected will be brought forward this evening or to-morrow
in the House of Lords, by the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
" The debts of the West India Planters, &c., are estimated at
thirty millions sterling, for which it was agreed to pay the mort.
gagces six per cent. ; but, from the great deterioration of West
India property, the mortgagors have not been able for some time
past to fulfil their engagements. It is now proposed by Go-
vernment to pay off the mortgagees at the rate of 10s. in the
pound, thus reducing the debt to fifteen millions, by an issue of
Exchequer Bills, bearing three per cent. interest, which accom-
modation will be a remuneration to the proprietors of West India
property in all the West India islands, for the emancipation of
their slaves.

Should this arrangement for the relief of the planters be
agreed to, by the planters, &c., and the Legislature, the slaves in
all our West India Islands, in a given time, will be made free.
Preparatory to the measure being carried into effect a police
force is to be sent out to each island to organize an additional
force for the protection of the planters against any ebullition of
the emancipated slaves, and to oblige the latter to cultivate the
soil. It is also stipulated in the arrangement that the West
India proprietors are to have the exclusive monopoly of the
English market for the sale of the produce of the islands."

The stipulation in the last paragraph is, we believe,
incorrect. The West India interest wish to obtain
this exclusive privilege; but the Government being
naturally anxious to protect all classes of his Ma-
jesty's subjects, have not consented—and will not
consent, because such monopoly would keep East
India sugar entirely out of the home market, which
would be manifestly unjust.
The deputation which is to wait upon Lord GODE-
RICH to-day consists of the following gentlemen :
MI. MURRAY.
For Jamaica Mr. CoLviti,r.
For British Guiana Mr. HYNUMAN.
For the Leeward Islands Mr. IRVING.
For Trinidad

And, according to the Morning Post, the Com-
mittee of Planters and Merchants have consented to
postpone for the present their efforts for the revival
of the Committee of Inquiry in the House of Lords,
which was to have been appointed this evening.

The French Papers of Sunday state that the mis-
sion of Sir STRATFORD CANNING has entirely failed.

There have been no arrivals from Portugal this
morning in consequence of the boisterous weather,
but from private letters received from Falmouth,
dated Sunday, it appears a steamer was bearing to
windward ;which was expected to be the Lord of the
Isles from Oporto, with despatches. The wind wa
blowing very bard, so that she could not make the
coast, and would most likely steer for some other
port. Important news may therefore be expected
to-morrow. Great preparations are making by the
agents of Don PEDRO in London, to forward a
strong reinforcement of men and materiel for Oporto,
which is expected to sail in few days.

Hamburg Papers of the 22(1 inst. contain Dews
from Constantinople of the 19th of January. The
Ottoman Illoniteur gives an official account of the
battle of Koniah, ascribing the defeat of the Turkish
army to the impetuosity of the ViztEtt, and a heavy
fog, which prevented his plans from having the de-
sired effect. The SULTAN granted an audience to
M. BLAGUE, the Feench Editor of the Moniteur,
and receind hint very graciously; but we have no
room for particulars to-day.