The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-29 00:00:00

Lord Aberco n on the State of Ireland.

Lord Abercorn was presented on Saturday with an ad-
dress from the Corporation of Dublin, in which various
measures were urged for the improvement of Ireland. The
following is a report of the main portion of his Excellency's
reply :—" The absence of ordinary crime which was so
generally noticed at the recent assizes is most gratifying
and affords convincing proof of the steady improvement
that is taking place among the people. I deeply regret
the existence of the formidable conspiracy which in the
early part of this year rendered necessary the passing of a
bill for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. I
rejoice, harever, to think that indications exist that the
treasonable movement which has inflicted such incal-
culable mischief upon Ireland is gradually declining.
It has never received countenance or encourage-
ment from any of the influential classes of the
country, and it is satisfactory to know that during
the whole time the Fenian Society had been
in existence, no man of rank, wealth, position, or public
character, has been enrolled amongst its members.
Denounced by the ministers of every religious creed,
condemned by all men of patriotism and knowledge,
supported almost entirely by funds contributed in foreign
lands, it can only influence those who seek disturbance,
riot, and plunder, or those whom ignorance and credulity
enable designing and unscrupulous agents by misrepre-
sentation and falsehood to mislead and betray. That a
movement so produced, and so supported, could exist for
any length of time was impossible, and it will be a matter
of great satisfaction to me if, finding that treasonable prac-
tices are no longer attempted, I shall not be compelled to
exercise those extreme powers which Parliament has placed
in the hands of the Government. The topics to which the
greater part of your address refers belong to the province of
legislation. They have been repeatedly discussed in Parlia-
ment, and much difference of opinion exists with regard to
each and all of them. It will be the duty of myself and col-
leagues fully to inform ourselves and carefully to deliberate
upon those most important subjects, and when the proper
time arrives to submit our views to the consideration of
the Legislature. The course which the Imperial Parliament
has taken with regard to Irish questions during the present
generation, the numerous beneficial laws that it has passed,
the generosity which in times of distress it has shown in
providingfoervitnhceewd
banytres
aonf
ytheef
ourlris rheppreeospelnet,atthiveeaabinilirteygaanrdd
earnestness
to public affairs, the freedom with which political subjects
aro discussed, and the anxious desire expressed by men of
all parties to do justice to this country, induce me to believe
that measures proposed for the real benefit of Ireland will
always receive from the Legislature respectful considera-
tion,and can scarcely fail to be adopted if supported by
preponderance of enlightened public opinion in this na-
a
tion at large. I can assure you that there exists amongst
n eo ;col s
e fortunate
shall
leave an
tyh me ee aff seu crte of that
securing they
her Majesty's present advisers the most earnest desire to
promote the welfare of Ireland, and they will consider
themselves
to propose
to
it possible
the tenant compensation for bona fide improvements with-
out infringing on the right of property, of encouraging
manufacturing, railway, or commercial enterprise, of allay-
ing or softening sectarian differences, and of more fully ex-
tending to all classes the inestimable blessings of education.

Trade with the Shans, Western Chinese,
Laotians, &c.

Referring to the notice in bur issue of the 14th inst., of
the renewed efforts being made by the principal comrner-
taondtaaks3sotchilletinoneeseosfsathrye kminegadsuormestotobocnegntuhpo
eGitotiVenhrnammebteitrn
commerce with the above populous and productive por-
tions of interior "As;a beyond the Car,-;e^," by tramway
Loin Rangoon, we stated that the Liverpool Chamber
of Commerce had recently sent up to her Majesty's Minis-
ters their four:l, and the Liverpool East India and
China Association their fifth, memorial, in earnest advo-
cacy of the Aliticeful project. We also then published,
in ex:emo, the third memcrial to Government on the
same sabjec:: of the Iluedersfield Chamber, and ex-
pressed the hope that such reiterated app3als from the
commercial community of the county would receive that
attention from the new Government which the late Ad-
ministration failed to extend to it. With much satisfaction,
therefore, we now state that the Manchester Chamber has
since forwarded to the Er.rly of Derby, as the First Lord of
the Treasury, a no less ene:•getic appeal (its third also) in
favour of this long-desired new Eastern trade; and that the
Halifax Chamber has passed a resolution pressing the pro-
ject on the earnest consideration of Ministers. We hope that
the other chambers throughout the United Kingdom who
addressed the late Government in 1860 and 1863 in favour of
the scheme, as well as those which may not have yet shown
an active iaterest in the matter, will follow the example
thus again s't by the chambers above named, and secure to
themselves the future sat;s:.acti°ll
of havi
ng done their part
in assisting the ultimate realisation of
prove an enduring benefit to the manufacturers, merchants,
whating cannot fail to
pandecl nhnw racie—
Penwtnelsofmtuhset
conntry generally. This—the pro-
osprove, both as regards the opening
up of new fie:ds, wherefrom to draw largo supplies of various
prcducts in which the countries in question abound, and
which aro daily becoming more and more necessary to
this county, including cotton, sill- dyes, gums, oils, wax,
tea, gold, ever, &c., and in which to dispose largely, in ex-
change for such products, of British goods of various de-
grrce7ll 3toi,n particular. Not
owing to their in-
any of those have yet found their way to the multitudinous
s c rpi i o
populationsns— coof t
the andwoollen
countries
land positions, and to the fact that until we took from the
King of Ava, in 1852, the me-itime provinces of Pegu and
Martaban, on the east side of the Bay of Benga', no route
was available to England by which her merchants, or those
of India, could approach the large and populous poraon of
Asia situated to the north-east of those new British pro-
vinces. The renewed submission of the project to Govern-
ment notice by such influential bodies as the chambers of
commerce now taking actin a in the matter— on the autho-
ritative information of late received from India —i` pro-
perly supported by other chambers, cannot fail, we think,
when Parliament again meets, to ensure a careful conside-
ration of the whole subject.