The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-17 00:00:00

elyiew" t
675.,

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1850.

A very strong impression forces itself upon our
judgments, that in yielding so abruptly and uncon-
ditionally to Lord ASHLEY and his pious associates,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL is not the dupe, but still the an-
tagonist of the Sabbatarians. That a statesman who
has so long and energetically, and until now so per-
severingly and consistently, battled against fanaticism
under all shapes, and against superstition under every
guise—that a legislator who has withstood the grasp-
ing policy of an ecclesiastical discipline which would
fain swallow up all the rights and immunities of the
Dissenters—that a reformer of this character should
now, at the eleventh hour, yield up the nation, bound
hand and foot, to the will of a miserable minority of
Pharisees is beyond the limits of the most extrava-
gant credibility. 'We cannot embrace the notion of
such an enormous act of turpitude. Our belief can-
not comprehend the possibility of any such flagrant
tergiversation. The whole career of the present
First Lord of the Treasury is so vividly in our recol-
lection ; we remember so clearly all his noble efforts
to advance the cause of civil, but also, in a peculiar
manner,
of RELIGtous liberty, that we cannot for an
instant credit a change in him
n so disgraceful, so piti-
able, or so ignominious. Only within the last few
sessions we call to mind theelc quence with which he,
England, and as the
pr
nn
cd op
vnl
ee,
as one of the representatives
as the Prime Minister of
yilears in bethhealfc tfy theof
L
phalanx' who ha
of the
iajeceknn ofiwgihetdingge dncohwamfoprlo
of toleration, advocated the claims of the Hebrew
race in the person of the Baron LIONEL DE It, IV
CHILD to represent that city in the Rothe of "s
Com-
mons, which had been spontaneously accorded to
him by the liberality of the metropolitan
constituency. The conscience which could
swallow that camel of Jewish prerogative could
surely never strain at this gnat of opposition to the
Sabbatarians. No. We are satisfied, or at any rate
we would persuade ourselves, that the Premier is
acting in the manner be has
recently
indicated, not
from any dereliction of his former principles, not from
any willingness on his part to concede all things. to
the rapacity of a few bigots, but from a secret re-
solve that by yielding up the question at issue
entirely to themselves he will test secure
their ultimate and permament die comflture.
Any other conjecture than this would be
opposed to all the known and actuating motives of
political consistency. We endeavour to convince
ourselves that the Government, indignant at the Wil•

Oae of the most pregnant sources of the social and
political evils of Ireland is confessedly the Land
Question. All legislative measures for the improve-
ment of that unfortunate country must prove com-
parative failures till the relations between landlord
and tenant be fairly and permanently adjusted. The
object of the Bill for the sale of encumbered estates
was manifestly to exchange a pauper and embarrassed
for a substantial and wealthy proprietary. This
measure was no doubt a wise one, and with a few
amendments would be likely to effectuate much
good, if the Irish tenant-right were first defined and
legalised ; but again we say, until this question be
finally settled, until, in fact, " the Ulster tenant-
right" become the law of the land, from one end of
the country to the other, all efforts at legislation will
be futile. No English capitalist will venture to in-
vest his money in the purchase of land in Ireland as
long as the rights and duties of landlord and tenant
remain capricious and undefined.
We are glad to perceive that this vital question has
been taken up in such a spirit as must force it on the
immediate attention of the Legislature. The sturdy
Presbyterians of Ulster have joined their Roman
Catholic fellow-subjects in demanding the settlement
of the tenant's right to his improvements in the land,
" past, present, and future." A most important meet-
ing took place a few days since at Belfast, composed
of a number of Presbyterian and Roman Catholic clergy-
men, and a great number of substantial farmers from
the remotest parts of the province, at which resolutions
were passed unreservedly pledging themselves to an
union with the other Irish provinces ineseeking the es-
tablishment of tenant-right, founded on the ancient
custom of Ulster, and we have no doubt they will
persevere " till it be legalised and become the estab-
lished law"'through every province in Ireland.
We cannot see that the subject is surrounded with
much difficulty. The abstract right of man's " free
use, enjoyment, and disposal cf all his acquisitions,"
is, according to BLACKSTONE, a right anterior to all po-
sitiveacaonondciotifnbtseht ievt uiwot
aootnleesd
c_wod im„amnt eouv,
nt-30,
er
vi gle
Ina
t a
fwo
staterh itchh
the general
of hgneeanst
uae 3rr-aes
it was "occupancy" which gave a right to the tem-
porary use of the soil, so it is agreed that occupancy
gave also the original right to the permanent property
in the substance of the earth itself, which excludes
every one else but the owner from the use of it. These
are the principles laid down by BLACKSTONE and other
Jurists on this subject, principles which all reas-n-
-ieg minds must admit to be soun,l, and the equity of
which is potent to all thinking men. is, then, ett.te
clear that the tenant or bolder of land has the 44:-
nal right which "occupancy" confers; and that. %hen
by. his labour and industry he makes his possession

more valuable, when, in fact, he converts his
labour into permanent property, wo think it
-would be quite as dishonest' and immoral to deprive
Ibim of this convertible value as it Would be to take
is purse or any other tangible property that is his.
We are not disposed to set up any natural right
in opposition to the laws of the land or the general
-welfare of the community, but to take from a man
the fruits of his industry, without rendering an equi
-valent, we can view in no other light than an act o
i. the greatest injustice and cruelty. It is depriving
-man of the inheritance of his Maker—the enjoyment
.of the fruits of his toil. It is a fraud on man and
treason against GOD.
The Government cannot want information on this
subject. The report of the "Devon Commission"
could supply them with all they require. The
principle is tacitly recognized and acted on
in the north of Ireland, all that is required
is to define the " Ulster tenant-right," and make it
the law of the land. When this is done British ca-
pital will find its way to Ireland, the Encumbered
Estates Bill will work well, Irish property will not
be sacrificed, nor Irish creditors ruined—the Irish
proprietor will have a chance of something like fair
value for his property, which is being now sacrificed
in consequence of the us settled state of the relations
between landlord and tenant, and the consequent agra-
rian outrages so frequently and fatally committed.
What English capitalist will venture into a country
where life and property are insecure? The true way
to secure the life of the landlord is by insuring, the
rights of the tenant Let the landlord have his reason-
able rent, but insure to the tenant the benefits of his
improvements and his industry., Free trade has
lowered the price of the necessaries of life. The
landlord can well afford to lower his rent to the exi-
gencies of the times. The tenant cannot afford to
sameeed rentit i s well known that land is
as ,when corn brought a
PhsigYhs en: pwrictie
el; indeed
Ireland is generally let far above its fair valuation,
and until a substantial reduction shall take place,
adequate to the present crisis, no permanent tran-
quillity or prosperity can be expected in that country.
Tae labourer is entitled to a secure and perinanent
interest in the soil Le cultivates and improves ; the
purchase-money he invests in the soil is his labour.
Labour, the fun laments! wealth of all nations, ha", we
conceive, its "rights" as well as any other species of
property, and those sights ought to be recognized,
and guarded by the 'laws of the State, and rendered
as secure and inviolable as any other rights whatso-
ever ; and until this be done, until the Irish tenant
shall be secured a beneficial and definite interest in
the soil be works, and renders productive, he will,
naturally enough, remain discontented, while the
person and property of the landlord cannot be quite
secure. -