The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-19 00:00:00

THE INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITIES
OF IRELAND.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—In the present somewhat dubious political
position of the sister kingdom—a position in which it
is uncertain whether repeal or federalism will even-
tually strike the beam in the balance of probabilities
----during this temporary lull of the hot warfare of
agitation, the justness or judiciousness of which in its
motives, its principles, and its tendencies, I will not
stop to determine, inasmuch as you hare often spoken,
and very prudently, on that subject—surely, it will
not be denied, nay, rather urged with more than
usual reasonableness and force, that any attempt to
direct the public mind, seriously and practically, to
the fruitful, though long-neglected internal resources
of Ireland, provided our efforts manifest skill, earnest-
ness, and accuracy, is peculiarly advisable, as likely to
excite a most useful and seasonable interest.
The awakened spirit of nationality by which the
Irish people are now animated, manifesting itself as it
does in divers forms, gives us hope that judicious
measures of improvement, from whatever source they
may come, will be properly encouraged and supported.
It may be true that at the present time there is a
stagnation in many of the ordinary channels of com-
mercial industry ; but then it will be admitted, as
evincing this awakened spirit, that every new com-
mercial project is canvassed and examined with an
anxious eagerness, bent upon discovering therein
some elements of utility, or some prospect of success ;
and not only so, but that capital is readily embarked
in any undertaking which promises, however dis-
tantly, a profitable return. To this object, indeed,
have already been appropriated some of those unem-
ployed funds which, on account of recent monetary
revolutions, have been withdrawn from Government
security.
There seems to be two probable causes of the ill-
success or stagnation of industry in Ireland—either
a want of enterprising energy, or its misapplication,
and both may arise, and very likely do arise, from
ignorance of the internal resources of the nation,
their extent, and the most available means for their
development. Hence a tardiness, on the one hand, to
embark in any Irish speculation ; and, on the other,
signal failure of some of the schemes that have been
projected. But the great mischief has been the
pusillanimity, or something like it, which induced
the doubt of the industrial capabilities of Ireland.
Like as in everything else appertaining to this hitherto
" unhappy country," a feeling of despondency seems
to hover over those who are concerned in any com-
mercial or speculative project. This evil must, there-
fore, be met in its very foundation. We must attack
it in its source. The minute and elaborate returns
of the census of 1841, the extensive researches of the
Ordnance Survey, and the reports of the Railway
Commissioners, and of the Mining and Inland Navi-
gation Companies, deficient though they might be in
their statement of statistical facts, yet furnished a
more satisfactory basis than ever had existed pre-
viously. On this basis a superstructure has been re-
cently completed by an able and acute investigator—
I allude to Dr. Kane—who by patient and laborious
personal inquiries, and other supplementary means
scientific and practical, has satisfied us, beyond all
doubt or hesitation, of the value, magnitude, and
availableness of the industrial resources of Ireland.
With regard to the sources of mechanical power in
that country, which, for all practical purposes, must
be considered to be steam and water, it is obvious
that, for the creation of the former, fuel is indis-
pensable : it must, moreover, be cheap and abundant.
It is now demonstrated that the resources of Ireland
in this one particular have been, hitherto, vastly
underrated. The principal coal districts are four in
number, corresponding in name with the four Irish
provinces. The Leinster coal field extends over
nearly five thousand Irish acres, and, according to
Mr. Griffiths's estimate, contains no less than
63,000,000 tons. The supply of coal from this
district has advanced to 120,000 tons annually, while
the cost has been reduced from 20s. to lls. 6d. per
ton for large coal, and 4s. per ton for cuim. By a
certain process the immense resources of the Lein-
ster and Munster districts, consisting of anthracite or
non-flaming coal, may be rendered available for all
the uses for which the diffusion of heat is required.
! The northern district of bituminous coal, extending
around Lough Allen, is about sixteen miles in length,
and the same in breadth, containing, as Mr. Griffiths es-
timates, above 30,000,000 tons, and vet are these mines
hardly wrought at all, the yearly quantity raised
not exceeding 3,000 tons. This unhappy district,
abounding, as it does, with mineral wealth, is allowed
to lie neglected and fallow; and the population,
active, industrious, and eager for employment, are
starving in the midst of these hidden riches, restrained
only by their innate virtue from turning into un-
lawful channels the energies which nature destined to
an honourable and remunerative industry. " The
picture of this district, as I saw it some two years
' since," says Professor Kane, "has never left my mind.
As I walked on, there lay around my path
masses of iron ore, equally rich with the best em-
ployed in England. I knew that in those hills,
whose desolate aspect weighed on my mind, there
were concealed all the materials for successful indus-
try. A population starving, and eager to be em-
ployed at any price ; a district capable of setting
them at work, if its resources were directed by ho-
nesty and common sense ; but all sacrificed to the
stock-jobbing speculations of a few men acting on
the gross ignorance and credulity of some others."
Much might be said of the Ulster field, and par-
ticularly of the interesting coal district in the county
of Antrim, that probably would surprise your
readers ; and the same may be alleged with respect
to the subject of turf, Dr. Kane's report on which
is exceedingly interesting and important. It is now
clear that there is scarcely a use to which coal is ap-
plied, which may not be almost equally, if not
equally, supplied by this neglected material. Will it
be believed, that of the 20,000,000 acres, forming the
area of Ireland, about 2,300,000 are turf, the larger
proportion of which lies neglected and unprofitable,
because either not turned to account at all, or wasted
from want of scientific management in the process ?
But the most important conclusion from all the
investigations instituted is, that the difference of the
cost of steam power in England and in Ireland is
very trifling in the whole cost of manufacture, so
trifling indeed as to be utterly unimportant. There
is, however, a question still more interesting—the
efficient management of the water power of Ireland.
This is a subject greatly underrated. Many are
hardly prepared for the fact which is now pretty well
evinced, that if the water power of Ireland were
economised only to the extent it is in Lancashire, the
head-quarters of our coal-trade and manufactures,
that country would be supplied with an agency ex-
ceeding the entire power from steam, water, and
every other source which is at present at work in the
whole British Empire !
A fertile and instructive topic might be found in
the subject of the comparative estimate of the various
engines by which water may be applied to machinery,
as well as in that of the minerals and the agricultural
resources of Ireland, particularly the last ; but omit-
ting these, for the present, we hasten to introduce
an extract from the very just observations of Pro-
fessor Kane relative to the construction of railways
in Ireland by means of Government advances, the
interest on which should be paid by the profit of the
railway traffic ; as to how the surplus (if any) is to
be applied, and how the deficit (if any) could be raised :
" Three-quarters of a century ago," says he,
" when Scotland, poor, barren, and ignorant, lay at
the feet of England, the central Government saw the
necessity of creating at once such a system of internal
communications, as should place at the disposition of
the inhabitants the means of pacific intercourse and
trade. Hence, between canals and roads, a million and
a half of money was given to Scotland. Of this there
was to be no repayment. Other large sums, as a quarter
of a million to Leith harbour, were lent at very mode-
rate interest, and an arrangement was made that for
all roads required in Scotland, the State pays one-half
of the expense, and the locality is burdened only with
the other moiety.
"The Government did its duty in Scotland nobly,
although some of the plans were failures as, to the
particular result ; but what has been the consequence
to Scotland ? How much of the intelligence and
business habits, the general morality, and amenability
to the law, by which the people of that country are
distinguished, is due to the abundant means of inter-
course with each other, and with their richer
_and
more cultivated neighbours? Certainly a great deal.
Scotland furnishes to the State more revenue in pro•
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instances, that the Irish can be induced, by fair and
proper treatment, to do as much work in a given time
as English labourers, and very nearly, if not quite, as
well. With all these advantages belonging to the
sister kingdom, there cannot he a question that, with
judicious management and patriotic effort, her indus-
trial resources are capable of being properly de-
veloped, and her energies directed to the cultivation
of those rational schemes of improvement whi!.h
reason, and nature, and science, indicate as legiti-
mately her own.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Nov. 14,1844. lIIBERNICUS.

THE YORK MAYORALTY AT A DISCOUNT. The
civic chair seems to be in no request at York. At the
annual meeting of the Council held on Wednesday,
Alderman Swann and Alderman Barber were stic•
cessively elected to the office of Lord Mayor,
and successively declined to accept it, and paid the fine
of loot. Alderman Scawin was then elected, but as he
was not present, it was not known whether he would ac-
, cept the office.—Leeds Tim:s.