The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-23 00:00:00

THE HISTORICAL KEEPSAKE.

A. Series of Original Historical Romances,
.founded on im
portant and interesting events in British History. Lon-
don : F. J. Mason, West Strand.

A very handsome Christmas present for good boys
and girls. The volume is embellished with fifteen
very fair engravings : some of them from original de-
signs, and others from paintings of the old English
masters. The stories are well to!d, and the subject
of them is always interesting. We know of no prettier
school-book.

A JOURNEY THROUGHOUT IRELAND,
During the Spring, Summer, and Autumn, of 1834.
BY HENRY D. INGLIS.
London. Whittaker and Go., Ave Maria-lane.

We never read a truer, a more impartial, or a more
valuable work on Ireland than this. It can hardly be
said to be interesting in the common sense of that
word. It is neither so luxuriant in description, co-
pious in expression, rich in anecdote, or graphic in
detail, as some previous works by the same author ;
and yet we are persuaded it will be read with all the
avidity of a fairy tale. His sole aim was to tell thc

truth in plain, intelligible, unostentatious language ;
and it is but justice to say that he has been pre-emi-
nently successful. Those who take up this work in
expectation of finding it a superior description of
Road-book, or an improved edition of Ledwich's
Irish Antiquities, will be greatly disappointed. Its
excellence—its interest—its utility---will be found in
the correct view which it presents of the present state
of Ireland, without a shade of the colouring of party,
and with the absence of every prejudice which blinds
men to the excellence or the defects of those among
whom they sojourn. We confess we felt surprised,
and very agreeably so, at most of the conclusions to
which Mr. Inglis arrived, from what he witnessed and
learned in Ireland. There is hardly an evil which
afflicts that unhappy country which he has not traced
to its real proper source, and pointed out the most
effectual means for its removal. He conceals nothing ;
and many of the Irish landlords, and clergy of every
religious persuasion, have reason to thank him for the
celebrity he has obtained for them. Others, again,
have not been so fortunate : he has fixed a mark upon
them, of which they will find it troublesome to rid
themselves. The Archbishop of Cashel, and the
Parish Priest of Cahir, are among the latter. A pre-
late who " is universally disliked, even by those depend-
ent upon him, and of the same religious persuasion"
who " does no good;" and a priest who "refuses admittance
to the celebration of Divine worship on the Sabbath to
all who cannot contribute money," and who did " strike
a man with his stick several times, and knock the hat
off his head," for merely passing the chapel gate with-
out giving what he did not possess--an offering in
coin, are both richly deserving of exposure. Of the
Archbishop of Atmagh Mr. Inglis speaks in very
different terms. His Grace, he states, is a pattern
of charity to the clergy of his diocese, supporting at

his own expense a fever hospital, and otherwise—ex-
pending his entire income among those from whom he

derives it. There is something unnatural in discover-
ing that many of the best Irish landlords are
English absentees, as Lord Lansdowne, Lord Pal-
merston, the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Stanley,
&c. ; whereas, some of the worst landlords

are noblemen on whom Ireland and her poor have strong
claims, as Lord Limerick, Lord Donoughmore, &c.
In most of the large inland towns Mr. Inglis found on
an average, about one-twelfth of the population who
could not obtain employment of any kind ; and of those
in constant work the average wages throughout the
year without food, was eight-pence a day, for the sup-
port of the labourer and his family I In some places
four-pence a day would be thankfully received, but
there was no employment to be had even at that rate

Mr. Inglis attributes a very small share of the misery
which he witnessed in Ireland to voluntary idleness
among the labouring classes. He found them every-
where willing to work, when they could find work to do,
even at the very lowest pittance of wages ; and in all
districts where work of any kind was to be obtained,
he found them peaceable, comfortable, industri-
ous, and without any part of that display of family
feud, and religious rancour, which have so long
been the disgrace of Ireland.

The main—cause of the evils which afflict Ireland is
want of employment for the poor ; and the only way
by which employment can be obtained, is by the esta-
blishment of a wholesome system of Poor Laws. Mr.
Inglis is of opinion that in the event of every system
of such laws being repudiated by the legislature, a
remedy might be found in making parliamentary grants
for the drainage of . bogs, the cutting of canals, and
the cultivation of waste lands. This remedy would