The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-14 00:00:00

Conservatives. The late Marquis of THOMOND, for

example, was a Conservative Peer, who usually
lived at Bath, and he did not interfere actively in
elections; he was an absentee ; his estates in Clare
were sold three years ago ; they were broken up into
several divisions, and the new proprietors have
shown far more activity in the promotion of Con-
servatism than ever Lord THOMOND displayed, and
in many other instances, too numerous to cite, the
general result has shown that there is a
multiplication of Conservative political activity
from the greater number of the small proprietors.
Divide a large old Irish estate into twelve portions ;
let three of it be given to Catholics and Liberals,

and the other nine to Conservatives ; and, living on
the spot, and there will evidently be a great in•
crease of energy as compared with the former
state of the property, when its owner may
have been living on the Continent, and
taking only an indolent interest in politics. As a
general rule the absentee proprietor was apathetic
in politics, while the resident local one is always
active.

The occupation of land has also totally changed
in Ireland. The old system of tenure has been
altered into tenantcy at will from year to year, and
consequently the landlords have increased power,
while at the same time the augmented profits upon
farming have made the yearly tenants very re-
luctant to quarrel with their landlords. These
changes have taken place more especially in the
South and West of Ireland, and hence the Conser-
vatives have had successes in Limerick, Clare,
Mayo, Roscommon, Waterford ; and these general
causes are likely to continue. The introduction of
English and Scotch tenants has also been largely
contributory to this revolu ion of the political re-
presentation of Ireland. A very few years since, in
the county of Mayo, a certain parish church there
was in want of a congregation, and now it is
crowded, and chiefly with Scotch and English cul-
tivators of the soil.
These great changes have been going on since the
famine, and the result of them has been in the main
to increase the power of the gentry and the pro-
prietary of Ireland. This did not escape the
notice of Lord PALMERSTON during his former Pre-
miership, and for a short time the noble Vis-
count sought an alliance with the Irish gentry.
In 1857 the noble lord received great support from
them. At the election in that year Conservative
candidates, and their proposers and seconders,
alluded to Lord PALMERSTON with expressions of
favour ; the Orange Institution at that time was
utterly effete, and it was more dangerous to its
friends than to its enemies. Lord Chancellor
BRADY in a luckless moment galvanised Orangeism
with renewed activity by his arbitrary letter upon
the magistracy. The letter*was unconstitutional
in its tone, and was at the time justly condemned
for its tendency by our Liberal contemporaries. It
was almost as insulting to the Protestants of Ire-
land as the " Durham Letter" was to the Catholics.
Unfortunately, also, the letter of Lord Chancellor
BRADY was not taken as a sincere manifestation
against Orangeism ; it was read universally
throughout Ireland as a declaration against the
gentry of the country; it appeared to be a sinister
scheme, and its malevolence was maladroit, for its
result clearly demonstrates that its author was
not studying the signs of the times. Hence at
the election in this year—Derry and Newry—the
only Liberal seats in Ulster held by the Whigs,
have been lost to them, and the places filled by
Conservative representatives.
While the overwhelming majority of the Irish
gentry have been constant in their support of Lord
DERBY, it is remarkable that many of the Irish
bar voted against Derbyite candidates, and seceded
from their natural allies. This was partly to be
attributed to some extremely judicious promotions,
made by Lord PALMERSTON, of young professional
men of marked abilities. In a greater degree it
was attributed to the sway of Mr. BREWSTER'S
commanding influence. Mr. BREWSTER'S opposi-
tion to the Conservatives at the present time is
clearly traceable to the result of the alliance be-
tween Lord PALMERSTON and Lord JOHN RUSSELL,
with Sir JAMES GRAHAM and Mr. SIDNEY
HERBERT.

The influence of Mr. BREWSTER over so many
distinguished members of the Irish bar arises from '
many causes, personal andprofessional. He has vast
experience ; he was called to the bar in 1819, and
he has, in a long series of years, had a first-class
practice. No other man at the bar has held so
many special retainers ; his capacity for great
affairs has repeatedly been.tested by the high posts
filled by him under the PEEL Government, and
under Lord ABERDEEN. His social position has
also given him influence. Men of Conservative sen-
timents at the bar are slow to believe that an oppo-
sition supported by this gentleman could be really
dangerous to the established institutions df the
realm. As an extensive proprietor, Mr. BREWSTER
is naturally hostile to all that could really injure
the landowners ; while he is not personally dis-
tasteful to Roman Catholics, as he has never
actively associated himself with polemical proceed-
ings. Without giving up his substantial Con-
servatism, Mr. BREWSTER has at the same time
conciliated Roman Catholic feelings.
Hence it has happened that, while there has been
this great reaction in favour of the power of the
landlords in Ireland, there has also been simul-
taneously a secession of Conservatives at the Irish
bar to the Liberal ranks. We have explained the
causes of that complexity of result, which undoubt-
edly must receive the deliberate attention of any
Cabinet responsible for Irish affairs in 1859.
Whether the Chancellorship of Ireland be conferred
on Mr. BREWSTER or Mr. BRADY, and whether
Lord FERMOY or Mr. MORE O'FERRALL be the
Chief Secretary for Ireland, are practical questions
involving a policy to a much greater extent than
might be supposed by hasty observers ; and we
are not surprised at learning that the Coalition is
already in a state, of difference about them, which
may before long prove of considerable significance,
and be attended with no light result.

THE NEW MINISTRY.—We are enabled to state
that Lord John Russell will hold the office of Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs in the new Administration.
There will not be two opinions on this appointment. The
business habits, the long experience of public affairs,
and the undoubted patriotism, of the noble lord, peculiarly
fit him for this appointment at a crisis like the present.
The other arrangements are rapidly proceeding, and we
have every hope that many hours will not elapse before
we shall have it in our. power to communicate a complete
list of Lord Palmerston''s Cabinet.—Morning Post.

✓
The
es Countess Cle ptowitch has arrived at Far-
ran Belgravia, from Paris.
The Baroness James de Rothschild has arrived at
the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, from Paris.
Lady Cooke and Miss Cooke have arrived at
Edwards's Hotel from Green-Hamerton. Mr. and Mrs.
Hamilton Hoppin have left the same establishment for
Tunbridge Wells.
deep
Islehlvilaeot
efain. amusing ANOTHER DEATII FROM DROWNING AT OXFORD.
—yesterday afternoon Mr. John Simpson, scholar of
upset,himself
ab out aa nm‘dv
mile
ehb
being
ndul
nionaxgbfl
Oxford,
enr
tdao,
A friend, a member of
was with him but
the same college, , was unable to render
and 0,
nvCeeoarylrlelo,e
swim, was unfortunately drowned.
any assistance.
The financial convention entered into between
the St. Petersburg Cabinet and Messrs. Rothschild, through
Messrs. Kap-herr and Co. of St. Petersburg, is under-
stood to have been arranged with the house of Roths-
child at Paris. Little doubt is entertained that it will
result in Messrs. Rothschild being the contractors for any
future loan the Russian. Government may desire to raise in
London. The firm of Kap-herr and Co. is an old one, and
they have connections at garnbtug.