The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-07 00:00:00

grIRIT OP THE PUISLIC JOURNALS.

The state of Ireland was last night the subject
discussion in the House of Lords. The Mar-
uis of Westmeath represented the country as in
. state in which there was no protection for life
ind property. One Noble Lord thought open
rAellion would be preferable to the existing state
f things. Earl Grey said "he would apply for
no new powers so long as those already given by
'he laws continued to be sufficient for the pre-
servation of the public tranquillity. Whenever
he local authorities required the assistance of
troops or of an additional police force, troops
were sent, and the police force was increased ;
and if it could be shown that there wAs a further
necessity for such assistance, the Government

was ready still farther to increase the military
t;)rce, which he thought it was most advisable to
employ in quelling tumults in Ireland." His
Lordship added, that—
It was the object of the Government to act ju.tly and
impartially between the two parties which divided th,tt

country—not to look to the right or to the left; to reeard
on distinction of colours, orange or green, but to take the
course which was best calculated to win, not a triumph
far party, hut a victory for peace and good order. —(Hear.)
For that purpose, the ordinary powers given by the I•w of
the and had hitherto been sufficient. But he regretted to
nerceive that there was a great disposition on the part of
the gentry (and that disposition was not consned to Ire-
land) to call for the assistance of the military. It seemed
tit him, therefore, that the Lord Lieutenant bed done no
more than was his duty, when he recommended the Ala.
6strates to rely upon their own exertions and irdlaenes
for the preservation of the quiet of their respective districts."
The short parenthesis introduced by his Lord-
ship as to the disposition in other countries
besides Ireland to call in the military, suggests
serious reflections. We may depend on it the
disposition to recur to force on all occasions im-
plies a consciousness that the system which it
is wished to uphold can only be upheld by
force. In Leland we have a delightful com-
mentary on the policy of governing by force.
The gentry of England ought to beware how
they allow themselves to tread in the footsteps of
the Irish gentry. It is with force as with dram-
drinking, the more it is had recourse to, the more
the quantity must be increased to produce its
effect. When once we cease to make the ge-
neral good the object of the law, we renounce
the only sanction for the efficacy of the law—the
disposition of the community in its Favour.
What a satire on the system followed so long in
Ireland is the declaration, that the people are
opposed to the law and refuse to aid in its exe-
cution. Lord Longford thought that still
stronger laws ought to be passed, as the present
were insufficient ; but how are these strong laws
to be executtd, if the people are opposed to
them ? His Lordship said, "he concluded that

the existing law was not sufficiently strong to put
down crime and disturbance. As for Clare, they
might ask the Adjutant-General and the chief
constables of police how tranquillity was there es-
tablished ? Every field in the county was stud-
ded with military and police, and besides, the
work of intimidation and devastation had pi o-
ceeded so far, that little remained to he done.
The agitators had in a great degree carrie,l their
point ; this accounted in part for the tranquillity
and the presence of the soldiers accounted for
the rest." Surely to stud every village with
soldiers is strength enough. The Duke of 'Wel-
lington, on the other hand, intimated, that ii
Magistrates were not called to too strict an ac-
count, things might go on better

" There were (said his Gruce) abutidrut proofs of the
melancholy state of socitty in Leland. Even granting, as
was said, th,t Limerick and Clare were pac►sed, look to
the destruction of property in other countits—in the
King', County, Westmeath, rnd Kilk-nny.—(H ar.)--
In those counties, people were muff. ring front the absence
of every thing like protection of the laws. Now he would
ask, did the Government send into these counties a .uffi-

dent force to put down such a state of things?—(Hear.
Had they given the necessary protection to property ?
(Hear.) The same things were going ou in other coun-
ties, as had before driven all the gentry out of •he county
of Care. But the Marquis of Anglesea wanted to know
of what use would the Insurrection Act be ? e (Lord
W.) granted that the Act was of no use by itseH lf. He
had himself been in that country tinder cilcutnstatters
which convinced him of the ineficie•icy of the Act ; ha
,Pawed, tl.erefore, that it served only to preserve tran-
quillity for a lime —(Hear ) But still tin. Alsrviis of
Anglesea ought not to wonder that people, who could
rocure no evidence of any atrocity, however grest, that
might be committed even at their own th,ora--wlio saw
that no one around them dare come forward as a witness
against those whit destroyed their property .ind endans
v red their lives, should come forward end cdi upon the
Government fur the enforcement of a law that ought put
‘town the conspiracy which spread terror and insuburitiva-
tion throughout the country."
His Grace added,

" The Noble EArl at the head of his /114 sty's Go-
vernment had very properly put out of ecaniidera7.ii.n' on
th- present occasion, the case of Captain Graham, and the
more particularly, as it was the intention of another
Noble Earl to bring that subject before the House. Now
he (the Duke of Wellington) confessed that he was one of
those who thought, that if the Government were desiroua
that the eentlemen of the country should give them a
red and efficient assistance in preserving tranquillity, they
must on their part give those. gentlemen their support,
confidence, and aii•istance.—(Hear, hear.) There must
Ire no cavilline• ai.out trifles, when genii men have done
heir duty efficiently for the preservation of peace and
good order.—(Heat.) Gentlemen must not be punished
for any trifling mistake which they might commit in
V•e h,ncst exe.cuti”n of their duties ; neither most they
he punished because they happened to be odious to cne
party or another.—(Hear.)"
This is indeed strange language. We have
alwaysflor rceuiriei understood
yreaatchoe;si tetd.tohe ,
bityetti
dhselawless.so sort
ohabitsefof
oof
sees
himself held in little respect will be as little dis.
posed to respect others. His Grace evidently
considers the people of Ireland as so many cattle
existing for the benefit of the gtlitry ; and he
puts the feeling of the people themselves en-
tirely out of consideration. His Grate, how-
ever, is mistaken, sadly mistaken, if he think
that the system of screening men in authority
will promote obedivealriteioenin(r)eftthhoe:\sle subject to au-
thority.
threeA
cl
)ifsecsquackery and delusion, except
the people have an interest in yielding obedience
to the laws. England may supply armies to co-
erce Ireland ; but the moment the soldier with-
draws from a district the outrages recommence.
Not so, however, thinks his Grace, who holds up
the conduct of the Ministry who approved of
the Manchester massacre for the imitation of the
present Whig Ministry. Protect magistrates
through thick and thin. " His Majesty's pre-
sent Ministers would be wise if they took a
lesson from the conduct of his Noble Friend
(Sidmouth) and the Government which was at
that time in office." Of course, if his Grace
should be the head of a future Ministry, lie
would act up to his lesson. Bui has his Grace
turgotten ins embarrassment on account of the
disturbances in the ag,icultural districts, before
he quitted office ? Why was it that the maga-
ri)ryatesthewirithbtrleietherxenamiailte of
Manchester,the renown
te
l th
a were f
p,anratlryysethda?t
the Did
Government
rnSei t Robertwerep Peel
unablel
to
absis
ttilem, and that the inhabitants must prutec
themselves ? Does not this atEnd a provf tha
40mething more than .i.agibterial impunity is U 8 •
tiny ? I b WO a not sorry that hi
Grace should have urn this anshostvr aria
ce:s:syto,