The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-11 00:00:00

NIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS DAT.—Morning, 3h. 45m.—Afternoon, 4h. sm.
To-Moßßow.-Morning, 4h. 25m.—Afternoon, 4h. 45m.

Al*/
)140r.w.fjit,
It" '

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1868.

The Earl of MAYO may be congratulated upon
having made a successful speech on the difficult
subject of Ireland, which yesterday engaged the
attention of the House of Commons for so long a
period. His task was rendered more awkward by
having to reply to a speech like that of Mr.
MAGUIRE, which was replete with fervid eloquence,
and naturally was calculated to turn the attention
of the house from the more practical truths
which had to be set before it. Notwithstanding
these drawbacks, however, we think we may
say with confidence that the noble lord
made out a good case for the Government
which he represented, and also did himself great
honour by the lucidity of his explanations and
the earnestness of his remarks. When we come
to look at the matter dispassionately, we must
feel that the condition of Ireland in general, and
of the improvements proposed, demand the assist-
ance of calm reason and sober judgment more
than the flight of eloquence and the illustrations
of fancy ; and however we may admire the orato-
rical displays that are made by those who feel
strongly, the motion under discussion is more
likely to benefit by the advice of those
who think deeply. Very likely some
captious individuals may be found who will pick
holes in the Government propositions, but it is im-
possible to please everybody, and it cannot be denied
that the Ministry has taken great pains to consider
the subject in all its bearings, and has, moreover,
made some important concessions to the demands of
various parties. It was generally felt that the time
had come when the Irish question could no longer
with propriety be postponed, and that this session
must not pass away without seeing something defi-
nite accomplished in the way of settling the wrongs
and alleviating the discontent that prevailed on the
subject of special grievances. The Ministerial
policy as regards Ireland has been duly set
forth, and we cannot say that there has been any
attempt made to shuffle it over, or to keep silence
until the question had been fully debated. When
the first impression produced by Mr. MAGUIRE'S
declamatory remarks had worn off, it must have
been apparent to the House that the hon. member's
figures were not to be depended on for illustration
of the actual circumstances of the case. In fact,
he quoted those returns which presented a gloom)•
aspect and bore an unfavourable impression, while
in the most extraordinary manner he omitted
those encouraging parts of the question,
which went far to dissipate his foregone conclusions,
if they did not actually contradict them in toto.
Thus we find that when Lord MAYO quotes the
official returns he shows that the total value of the
stock in 1866 has increased to fifty million five hun-
dred thousand from twenty-one millions in 1841,
while Mr. MAGUIRE merely shows the decrease that
has taken place in cattle without mentioning the
increase in sheep, which should have been put in
connection with it. The House must have seen
this discrepancy for itself ; but it is scarcely
the manner to put the case before it. People
are always justified in putting their own
interpretations upon things, but when they
come to facts and figures they should state the
whole and not a part, or they should not begin them
at all. The total acreage which is now under culti-
vation has increased from thirteen millions to fif-
teen millions four hundred thousand. The deposits
in the banks have also largely increased, and many
other facts show that so far from a diminution in
the prosperity of Ireland the state of the country
has greatly improved of late years.

It is to be hoped that there will be no more of
this sort of exaggeration on one side and of obli-
vion on the other in the remaining part of the de-
bate which is to occupy the rest of the week
after to-day. At least Lord MAYO kept to the
facts of the case, and did not seek to create
an unfavourable impression or otherwise by ampli-
fication or discussion. On the whole, we may con-
clude that he gave a good answer to the speech of
Mr. MAGITIRE, containing, as it did, so many and
such serious charges against the Government and
all those who exercised authority in Ireland. As
for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act that
is unfortunate, but the Irish themselves have agreed
to it, and their representatives in Parliament have
not denounced it, but consented to it as an inevit-
able necessity. In nothing was Lord MAYO'S speech
more effective than in that passage which showed
how completely the Government of Ireland is in-
trusted to Irishmen. The Lord-Lieutenant,
the Chief Secretary, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord
Justice, the Master of the Rolls, the Judges of the
Common Law Courts, are Irishmen, and some are
also Roman Catholics. The constabulary are all
taken from the country itself, and belong to different
creeds. It is worthy of notice, too, as the noble
lord said, that in Australia and Canada, where a
large number of Irishmen are found, Fenianism is
unknown, and that if the connection with the
United States could be cut off for a short time
the conspiracy would certainly collapse. This
is worthy of attention, because some persons have
been in the habit of declaring that where-
ever Irishmen are collected together there discord
and disloyalty to the English rule must prevail as
a thing of course. The Fenian movement itself has
fluoutenrteicaev
liced any
lasses,suapnpdortthian Ireland from heoutraegiinn-
g
sign, and one that a well-informed person
would not pass over. We hope that the
House will not be led away in this matter, but
calmly and carefully look into matters, of detail.
Mr. GLADSTONE made some inquiries as to the views
which the Government took on the subject of the
motion and amendment which were put before the