The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-20 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
SPEECH OF THE LORD LIEUTENANT AT THE DERRY

CATTLE SHOW.

The banquet given by the Royal Auricultural Society of
Ireland, at their annual show, took place yesterday at Lon-
donderry. Nearly five hundred noblemen and gentlemen
were present. As an indication of the increasing prosperity
of Ireland, this year's exhibition is very satisfactory. The
entries, in every department, except shorthorns, have been
more numerous than at any previous show, and in the imple-
ment yard there is also an increase of competing articles.
At the conclusion of the banquet, the Earl of Eglinton ad-
dressed the company. It will be observed that in his allu-
sions_
to the sectarian animosities that divide the people of
Ireland he closely followed in the footsteps of his predeces-
sor, who never let an opportunity slip when he could
nculcate peace and Isarmoey.
His Excellency, after referring to the vast and beneficial
changes which the Royal Agricultural Soiloet had accom-
plished in Ireland, changes affecting g,3
his usual vigour of
,Ceivo,ooo of pro-
perty, went on to say with moret
has
given me greater
expression—There is nothing which
gratification in the whole course of my life titan the im-
provement which I found in Ireland since I was last here.
The cloud that appeared at one time to have settled perma-
nently over her has been dispersed. Everything now shines
over the island. The science—not only the practice, but the
science—of agriculture is spreading throughout the country.
Your hills and your rich pastures are teeming with sheep ;
your rents are paid with a punctuality not exceeded else-
where; your poor-houses are half empty; your labourers
are employed crime has decieased ; nelways are extend-
ing their useful influence over the country; political
strife is, I may say, almost in abeyance, and civil and
religious liberty is established on so firm a basis that
the man who would advocate a return to bigotry would
be set down as insane. (Laud and continued cheer-
ing.) There is but one plague spot left, and that I
trust has almost ceased to fester. Nothing but sectarian
animosity stands in the way of Ireland enjoying hap-
piness and prosperity unsurpassed by any nation on earth,
and for which her internal resources, her fertility, and the
genius of her people eminently qualify her. (Great cheer-
ing.) These animosities have, no doubt, to a great extent
departed with customs and enactments, some of which
tended to foster them, and some of which ought, perhaps,
never to have existed. The bow of peace and safety seems
to have arched its fair circle before us, but as yet the form
of the rainbow is too harshly defined and the colours too
distinct. As the orange and green present too strong a
contrast to each other, so do these quarrels and heart-
burnings prevent that perfect union and brotherly love
which ought to exist among you, and I trust that they
will fade ere long, and that they will soon be blended
into the harmonious glow of a cloudless and meridian sky.
(Loud cheers.) I have on many public occasions, as on
this, expressed my opinion of the great improvement that has
taken place in Ireland. lam accused, by those who are not
intimately connected with the subject, of partiality in colt ar-
lag the subject too highly ; but I am not only sure that I am
correct in my estimate, but if you will for a few minutes
allow tne to go into such dry matters as figures, I will prove
that lam correct. (Hear, hear.) I will not go to any dis-
tant period or to any exceptional cases to take my compari-
son with the present time. I will only go to the period
when I was here before in the year 1852. If I were to go
farther, no doubt the comparison might be more striking,
but it would not be so fair. I rejoice to say that the im-
provement is net only progressive, but that it is rapidly on
the increase. Of course not only by such a company as
this, but by Irishmen genera'ly, it will be admitted that
agriculture is the main interest of Ireland, and I shall
therefore begin with it. There is no doubt that
the present improvement which has taken place in
that interest has been arrived at by great effort and
by very great individual suffering. For the latter lam not
answerable; for the former I take no credit to myself ; and
as regards my colleagues, they sincerely rejoice in the fact
that the prospects of Ireland are improved. (Hear.) Dur-
ing the period, not of a great many yeare, land of the value
of twenty-one millions has changed hands ; and as new pos-
sessors are almost always improving, we may calculate that
more than 10 per cent. has been laid out upon land. We
may therefore calculate that considerably more than two
millions have been paid out in that way ; five millions
have been granted by Parliament for internal drainage,
improvement of rivers, and other things of that sort, and
sixteen millions in the way of loan. It is only of late
years the results of these great efforts have begun to tell;
but they have begun to tell in a manner the most satisfac-
tory. (Hear, hear.) I have said that I would read for you
some figures ; I have reduced them to so small a number that I
think they will not weary you here. The first item which
I shall bring before you is the enormous increase of live
stock in Ireland since 18.52. In round numbers there has been
an increase of 85,000 horses, 570,000 cattle, 750,000 sheep,
and 330,000 pigs. (Hear.) Calculating them at the mode-
rate price of £8 each for horses, £6 103. for cattle, 22'. for
sheep, and 255. for pigs, it makes iu all the enormous
increase in the value of property in Ireland in live
stock alone of .£3,716,000. (Cheers.) I shall now merely
state one fact as regards the increase of acreage that is
now under cultivation, notwithstanding the enormous
increase of pasture. In 1852, in round numbers the
acreaee under cultivation was 5,739,000, and in 1857 it
was 5,881,000, making an increase of 49,700. (Hear.)
There is another matter of the greatest possible importance
to Ireland, namely, the decrease of pauperism. I will state
a very few figures upon that point. The total number of
paupers in 1852 was 590,775; in 1857 they were 190,823,
being a decrease of almost one-half. In the county Deny
they were 4,699 in 1832, and they are now 3,269. (Cheers.)
The average of poor rates over land is ls. in the pound; in
England it is ls. 91 ; and in &Alined ls. 4d. (Hear, bear.)
There is only one other item which I will bring before you,
and that is the enormous decrease of crime. The total num-
ber of offences reported to the Inspector-General in 1852
was 7,824. In 1857 it was 4,032, being a decrease of nearly
one-half. (Hear.) Of the homicides there was a decrease
of about 30, in a similar period, from 162. Of crimes en-
tirely of an agrarian nature in 1852 there were 100 cases;
in 1857 only 23. (Hear, hear.) Of robberies and bur-
glaries there were, in 1852, 3,4_6; in 1857 there were 1,272.
As regards a most important item—namely, incendiary fires,
maiming of cattle, and other crimes of that sort, in
1852 there were 1,507 offences; in 1857 there were only
755. Of threatening notices, in 1852, there were 776; in
1857 only 271. I have only one other item of figure? to
bring before you, which is, that in cases of ejection for non-
payment of rent, in 1852 the number was 6,550; in 1837 it
was only 919. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Gentlemen, I
trust I am not wearying you. (No, no, and cheers.) I
calm( t but feel that, to go away lom figures, I have some
little reason to be proud, when talking of the improvements
in this country, that the two great events which have taken j
place within the last few weeks have occurred during my
residence amongst you. I allude to the laying of the
Atlantic cable and the establishment of a transatlantic
packet s 'ation in Ireland. I think I am justifies in saying that
the former is the most extraordinary instance in ancient or
modern enterprise—the most signal ti him ph and the ereatest
wonder the world has ever seen. (Cheers.) Of the result of this
it is of course impossible to form a conjecture; but we know
this much, that it must be beneficial not only to this country
but to the whole human race. (Hear.) Of the other—l
mean the steam communication between Gainey and America
—I feel the most confidant anticipation, and I am nat too
sanguine in telling you that, ere long, Gaway will he the
high-road of communication, for passengers and mails at
least, between England and America. (Prolonged cheering.)
And now, gentlemen, before I sit down, you must allow me
to say a few words with respect to this old and interesting
city, in which I find myself. (Applause.) Coining here as
I did for the first time ye sterday, I was n .t only struck with
the beauty of its position, but I could nut help referring to
the interesting traditions and glorious memories which
are associated with it. (Euthusinstic cheers.) I could
not help going back to its earliest dates' and remem-
bering that in ages and ages long gone try, before the
Danes or the Saxons came eminent you, on the spot
where now s'anes your commodious and beautifuli city there
stood Daire Calgo'cln " the city of the fierce warriors." I
fear t!te name was symbolic, not 0,.:y of tire pa ,ple then
exii:itg, but of the spirit which, in compare: iv, ly modern
times, gave Derry a world-wiee celebrity. (Herr, hear.)
Then it curie, from Daire Caleoich, "the city of the fierce
warner-, " to be Derry Columbeill, " tee c ty h pious
the oue
saint." 'Then, in after years, in the time of the first James,
it bati prefixed to it the name, of the metropolis, and acquired
for ibelf that commercial character which lies ever since
distinguished it; and I teink I may now say that it is every
day more, and more reverting to its own originel Dwry,
thereby showing that it requires no aid from warrior, saiet,
or community, but that it eve s'ritd upon its own re-
sources, anti rely upon tee energies of its own people. As
regards the ireprovemeet of Leland, I may say, with re-
spect to the spirit of the people of Londonderry, you Lave
shown more pubic spirit than any other town. As I said, I
think, before tc-day, with the single exception of Belfast,
you have shown more public spirit anti more self. reFaece
than any town in Ireland. (Cheers.) I feel sure by what
I heard to-day that that public spirit, so far from dying
away, is only in its infancy, and if I may be allowed to ga to
another recollection of Londonderry, I feel some little
pride in remembering that I am not the first of my
family who has been here. I feel proud in remem-
bering that the first Protestant Bishop of Derry, a
predecessor of my right reverend friend and host, was
one of my own family. The first Protestant Bishop
of Derry was Doctor George Montgomery, who was closely
allied with my own family in Scotland, and a mother
of the firsi, Montgomery was ennobled in Ireland. I re-
joice to think that that name, although I cannot lay claim
to any affinity with the owner of it, is not now degenerate,
and that 1 believe a townsman of your own, at all
events one who was educated among you, Robert Mont-
gomery, is now one cf the most distinguished officers in
India. (Cheers.) When I mention India, I am sure I
should not be pardoned if I did not advert is the fact that
the two great brothers, the Lawrences, were also educated
here. (Applause.) One, unfortunately, lives nn longer,
except in the grateful memory of Iris country. The ether,
I trust, will live to see many years of honour, of credit to
himself, and utility to his country. (Hear, hear.) And
now, gentlemen, I cannot find myself in this city for the
first time without adverting to and expressing my ae.mira-
too of the defence of your city in the 17th century, and it
is a defence of which you hove every right to he proud—
(loud cheers)—which has been immortalised before, but
which has been brought before you lately in still
brighter colours by the pen of Macaulay—(hear, hear)—
a defence which we cannot find paralleled in modern
times, except, perhaps, in the celebrated sieges of Kars and
Lucknow. (Hear, bear.) 1 read that i:: the cad of the last
century the ceremony of the opening of the gates of Derry
was celebrated with the greatest pomp—that in the proces-
sion which then took place there were not only all the autho-
rities and dignitaries of the town, not only the Bishop of
Derry, but the Roman Catholic Bishop, attended by many of
his clergy. I read that on that (tension a sermon was preached
by pines and distinguished townsman of your own, Dr
van ban Sampson, in which Ile inculcated humanity, and, ann
&ration,
and brotherly love. In the course of that sermon he
said, " If you will draw an example from your forefathers
a lesson suited to
solemn hour, you will bepious in
your courage, you will illlm moderate in your opinions, you
will not only Fay in your
..hearts Glory to God in the
, u. There is no man who
highest,' but you will also sad', 4 Peacese.) on earth, good will
among men.'"
(Hear,
more h
admires nationalityearantd aapnpllldo ; thereisno roan
iwthios
thinks more highly of patriotism ;
and I believe
from such feelings have sprung almost all the hiehest attri-
butes of humanity, and the greatest actio.nslswlhiheahvheaavlehtedvectri
been performed. But all rejoicieefes orifj! and bad
to, should he discontinued if they
blend ; and I cannot too strongly inlead to .
3,culcate this upon
1, no_ 3,
o.
anti not only on you, fur I believe I ain not spebtau
i
to any one who does net agree with me—(hear),—
thousands of your fellow countrymen, who are proverbialt to
for their loyalty, and unimpeachable in their patriotism,
but perhaps too uncompromising in their demonstra-
tions. (Laughter and applause.) Let the words which I have
just quoted sink deep into your minds, and while you take a
just pride in the courage, and zeal, and fidelity of your an-
cestors within their old walls, every stone of which tells
histories of their patriotism, romantic in their thrilling
interest, I pray you to abandon all emblems of party spin it,
which is no longer required as a triumph over your own
brethren—all symbols of sanguinary strite, which now lives
but in the page of history, and which I trust, with God's
blessing, will never again be revived—(hear, hear)—and as
Detry Columbkille succeeded Dalte Calgoich so let the