The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-30 00:00:00

LONDON,

SUN,

legislated upon are the conditions of the " Plantation
of Ulster." By these conditions the settlers on the
confiscated lands, that is the tenants or occupiers of
the greater portion of the north of Ireland, were en-
titled to a large share of the privileges of their land-
lords, these landlords themselves holding their estates
not for their own individual profit or advantage alone,
bat also in trust for the discharge of certain public
duties imposed by the Crown for state purposes.
It was the intention cf the English Monarch to
colonize the confiscated lands in the north of Ireland
with Protestant settlers. The strongest inducements
were held out to English and Scotch Protestants to
settle in Ireland. The Crown only granted lands on
the conditions that such settlers as should be found
bold enough to risk their lives, by settling in a country
where every native would look upon them as intruders
and enemies, should form an independent yeomanry,
holding their land by secure tenures and at moderate
rents. This is the foundation of the Ulster tenant-
right—a right as strong and indefeasible as any right
of landlordism in that portion of Ireland included in
the " Ulster Plantation."

The terms of inducement held out to tempt Pro-
testants to emigrate to Ireland, and locate themselves
on the lands of Ulster, are plainly set forth in several
charters and orders in Cou,ncil during the reign
of JAMES I. This 21onarch was looked upon
rather favourably by many of the Celtic chiefs,
in consequence of his relationship to the blood-royal
of Iceland—a circumstance of which, it is said, JAMES
himself frequently boasted. And, taking advantage
of this predisposition in his favour, he determined to
adopt, on a larger end more secure basis than his pre-
decessors had attempted, the policy of colonising
the confiscated lands of Ulster with British Protestant
settlers ; and for the purpose of carrying this plan
into full effect, we find that in the year 1608
a State paper was printed and issued
under the authority of his I,:a.rEsTT and the
Lords of the Privy Council, entitled, " A collection
of such orders and conditions as are to be observed
by the undertakers upon the distribution and planta-
tion of the escheated lands of Ulster."

This official document, which forms the basis of the
ultimate titles of the greater portion cf the llliter
proprietors, goes on to set forth the terms upon which
theL,e lands were to be distributed amnong such of
surjects of merit and ability as would undertake to
carry into effect the terms imposed by his l'AlaJEsTr,
—first, these laud were granted, not for his
MAJESTY'A own private profit, nor for th:2 private
and absolute prost of any individual or company
alone, " but to do s:rvice to the Crown and the Com-
monwealth."

In the charter granted in 1613 to the Irish Society,
when the London companies became the proprietors
of—the whole county of Derry, his MAJESTY more
fully and explicitly r7eciares the public objects of the
" plantation," viz., " To establish the true religion,
and to recal that wretch,:d province from superstition,
rebellion, calamity, and poverty, to religion, obe-
dience, strength, and prosperity." In pursuance of
this project the forfeited lands were parcelled cut to
undertakers, the present landed proprietors of Ulster,
in graduwed proportions of two thousand, one thou-
sand five hundred, and one thousand acres—bog,
wood, mountains, and unreclaimed land forming no
part of three allotments. Several stringent conditions
were imposed by the Crown upon these undertaker.,
or head-landlords, but no condition was more
stringent or imperative than that they shou'd make
fixed estates to their tenantry, which, if they failed to
do, they rendered their own estates liable to for-
feiture at the discretion of the Crown. It is manifest,
then, that the undertakers or landlords of Ulster
have no absolute right of ownership, but are the mere
trustees of the Crown to carry into effect the
several conditions to which we have referred, and
that the Ulster " tenant-right" is as much a grant
from the British Crown, and should be held as sacred
as any other proprietary right whatsoever. In the
portion of Ulster where this custom is strictly ob-
served the most beneficial effects have been expe-
rienced, and we confidently believe that its extension
to the whole of Ireland would be eminently calcu-
lated to secure the peace and prosperity of that
country. We cannot devote more space to this sub-
ject to-day, but we will repeat what-we have before
frequently urged, that the Ulster "tenant-right"
should be defined and legalised, and extended to every
tenant in Ireland.

During the course of the last week large public
meetings have been held in various towns ie this realm
of England, fur the purpose of devising some method of
expressing the national respect for the memory of Sir
Robert Peel, and similar meetings have been held in the
metropolis for .the purpose of raising subscriptions to
erect a national testimonial of respect to the memory of
the Duke of Cambridge; but, whilst it is graceful and
decorous for a nation thus to give expression to its
feelings of respect and gratitude for the memory of
its' dead benefactors, it would be most indecorous, not
to say indecent, were that same nation to treat with
neglect the claims of its living benefactors. We are
sorry to be compelled to admit that to this reproach
England is but too open, as the melancholy fate of poor
Waghorn bears witness. Let us not put it in the power
of other nations to reproach us with neglecting the
claims of ono who har, although in a different manner,
been, as great a benefactor to the nation as even Lieute-
nant Waghorn himself, we mean Mr. George Alfred
Walker, the great Apostle of Sanitary Reform, the man
to whose (for a long time unaided) exertions we owe
it that the atmosphere of our large towns is no longer to
be poisoned by the putrid exhalations of the grave-
yards, and whose claims have been ignored and himself
treated with neglect by a Government which has '
unscrupulously stolen his ideas, and, gipsey-like,
spoiled them by perverting that which was intended
for the benefit of all mankind into a gigantic job, for the
exclusive pecuniary profit of the richest clerical body
in the work, which uebluehingly lays claim to a vested
interest in the propagation of pestilence, for the giving
up of which it demands and obtAins as enormous com-
vensation. That, however, which the Government has
neglec:ed to do the people, we are happy to learn, are
doing. This evening there is to be held, at the Old
Cheshire Cheese Tavern, near Drury-lane Theatre, a
meeting fur the purpose of forming a local committee to
"collect subscriptions for a Walker Testimonial ; and
we trust that similar meetings will be bold in every pa-
rish of the Metropolis.

FILE IN THE STRAND.—About half-past two
o'clock this morning, great alarm and excitement prevailed
in the neighbourhood of Off-alley, Strand. It appears that
the son and daughter of Mr. Mansfield, a hair-dresser, occu-
pied the lower rooms on the ground floor, and while asleep
in bed were aroused by the clothes burning around them.
An alarm, of course, spread in every direction, and instant
intelligence was forwarded to the Chandos-street fire-brigade
station, and in a few seconds the firemen and engines were
in attendance from that place. Meanwhile considerable
damage had been done, but the firemen soon extinguishe
the flames. The two individuals above named were dread-
fully burned in endeavouring to stay the progress of the fire,
which was caused by placing a lighted candle on a chair too
near the bedstead. " No p2rtion of the property is insured.

- -
On Saturday, H. E. the Earl of Clarendon, Lord•
Lieutenant of Ireland, honoured Mr. I'. Phillips's Diorama
of her Majesty's visit to that country with his presence, and
expressed to Mr. Phillips his delight at the accuracy f his
painting, and complimented him on the selection of the vari-
ous views.

31st. GEORGE STEPHENS.—We regret to learn
that this gentleman, who has been for many years devoted
to literature, and amongst whose works may be named the
dramatic poem entitled " The Hungarian Daughter," " The
Voice of the Pulpit," " The Manuscripts of Erdely,"
" Pere la Chaise," and the tragedies of The Vampire, Ger-
trude and Beatrice, and Nero, &c.—is reduced to a condition
of extreme pecuniary difficulty and distress. Of late
years Mr. Stephens has been compelled to depend altogether
upon his literary industry for the support of his family. A
protracted and painful disorder has rendered it impossible
for him to leave the house f,r months. From this cause he
has been disabled both from seeking literary employment
and from filling the duties of any occupation which
necessitates absence from home. Under these cir-
cumstances it is proposed, by a benefit appointed
to take place on Wednesday (to-morrow), at the
Soho Theatre (late Miss Kelly's), 72, Dean-street, Soho,
as well as by private subscriptions, to raise a fund for
the purpose of aiding him in this distressing emergency.
The pieces
Henry IV.,
esoelroneegtm
selected the occasion are Shakspere's play of
Douglas Jerrold, tragedy of Mart
c iluzzi • and the petite comedy of Time Tries
All. the
da
i‘ort
Lovell,
re First; the last act of Mr. Stephens's
e.e e
‘; ,
among
w&hco, mayea earnestly
to
whom are numbered Mr:
harlesKnight, Mr. IS'estland
inviteMars-
ton,
recognise
sympathy
and co-operation of alllwngthe
double claim of genius and suffering.
EXTENSIVE FORGERIES UPON THE BANK OF AIM..
BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY.--A man of gentlemanly ex-
terior, named James Hilt, x-as
trouble, apprehended by Mr. Stephens,to-day, after considerable
perinteodent of the borough iceithe active chief su•
iaerged with forgeries
upon the Austrian Bank, at Vienna, l charged
; 1
The prisoner was taken at. one of the principalextellitoteoflB ii 5n the
°"1.
town, and had in his possession at the time of his
apprehen-
sion forged notes of Jul. each, printed in Birmingham, to the
' amount stated. He will be brcught up for exanduaticn be-
f;,re the magistrates at the public-effiee, on 'Wednesday nest.
The quiet and (!exteroni manner in which he was captured
by :dr. Stephens is highly commended.
We ore happy to slate, upon good au'hority, that
the Uuke of Hamilton is progressing towards recovery as
rapidly as the nature of his late severe accident will admit.