The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-06 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLICJOURNALS.

An evening paper of yesterday, we find, after
sneering and snarling for some time past at our
accounts of certain Ministerial proceedings,
which have but recently ended in an understand-
ing satisfactory, we should hope, to all the par-
ties interested, builds upon the neglect with
which we had hitherto treated its intrusive and
unprovoked ill-manners, and calls the narratives
which we have given of whatever was most im-
portant in passing events by the name of " flimsy
inventions. If that paper had not, within the
space of a few months, furnished a tolerably
exact measure of the value which it sets on an
unsullied character, we might not be unwilling
to enter the lists, and compare authorities with
it. At present, we flatter ourselves that the res-
pectable part of the public will excuse us from
any such degradation. We shall just hint, that
with regard to political intelligence, whether
foreign or domestic, it is only the uninformed
part of the press who will presume so far on the
ignorance of their own readers,
,as to question
the truth of facts for which The Times distinctly
pledges its veracity ; or else the unprincipled
among our cotemporaries, who revenge them-
selves by paltry calumny for that upright and
victorious independence which constitutes the
real power of this journal, and is therefore to its
discomfited antagonists a bitter fountain of envy
and reproach.---Times.
Upon the important subject of distress in Ire-
land we are glad to perceive that the Govern-
ment has not been inattentive to it ; however we
may he inclined to question the wisdom or the
plan which has been adopted for that purpose.
We are not prepared to admit the great advan-
tage of emigration, much less of emigration to
the very border of the United States-for we
know as matter of fact, that the American Go-
vernment encourages- emigration to Canada. for
political
.purposes. The emigrants are mere co-
lonists in Canada, but when they pass their own
boundary, and get into America, they soon ob-
tain the rights of citizenship. Then, we ask., is
it political or wise to people Canada, in order
that America may drain off the population., and
thereby ultimately endanger the safety of the
Provinces ? We find, however, that this mode
of relief has been strongly recommended by a
Committee of the House of Commons, and that
a vote was granted in the course of last year in
aid of Irisi Emigration. The slightest encou-
ragement gave the present prospect of bettering
the condition of the Irish people ; and we ob-
serve from the Canada Papers,- that upwards of
two thousand poor Irish have arrived in Canada
since last June. With respect to the propriety
of the Vote for this branch of the Miscellaneous
Service, there are two principal considerations—
the first is the absolute necessity of doing some-
thing to relieve the superabundant population of
Ireland—the second, the policy of encouraging
emigration to Canada, in the measure it has been
chosen to effect it. Upon the first of these
points, we shall not discuss the opinions enter-
tained and promulgated by certain writers, that
there is no real or actual increase of popula-
tion, and that all the -reports made upon
this subject are either wilfully or ignorantly
false. Every man who has the use of his
eyes and ears can give point-blank contra-
diction to- such assertions. It is asked
by the persons we have alluded to, whence
is it that we see in distant country
places the ruins of such immense churches, and•
the churches still existing so much too extensive
for the present population? Why, the ready
answer is, that formerly the population of Eng-
land was agricultural. It is Wow manufacturing,
and has, therefore, emigrated to the places of
its demand and employ, such as London, Li-
verpool, Manchester, and other large towns.—
The two great sources of a large population are
an active demand for their labour, and the dimi-
nution of those epidemic diseases, which, in
different ages and under different forms, have
kept down the increasing number of mankind.
At the period in which we happen to live both
these causes are in active operation. The de-
mand for men has been immense for the various
purposes of war, commerce, agriculture, and ma-
nufactures, and the successful introduction of
inoculation has removed one of the most dread-
ful scourges of the human race. From this the
obvious inference is, that in Great Britain and
her dependencies, as well as in otl er places,
where the same causes operate, there has been
a prodigiotte increase of their inhabitants.
—But, besides these almost self-evident
causes, there has ißen another principle
at work in Ireland ; the endless subdivi-
sion of the lands, ;10 the easy means
of subsistence afforded by the cultivation of po-
tatoes. Every such sub-division is a species of
new nursery ground, where so many new human
plants are reared, that in their turn they may, be
singly transplanted, and stock a new sub-division.
In this manner families are constantly increased,
and thus the evil never ceases. Within the last
half century Ireland has nearly doubled her po-
pulation, and is at this moment one of the most
wretched—the most populous countries in Eu-
rope. In England, trade and commerce, keep,
ing pace with our increase of population, have
taken up the augmentation of the people, and
has employed and fed them. In Ireland no
such trade or commerce exist—therefore we see
so vast a population without any adequate de-
mand for their labour. It is clear, also, that the
quantity of labour in the market beyond
the demand reduces. the wages of labour to the
lowest possible point ; and hence again
another aggravation to the Wretchedness of the
Irish poor. The most obvious remedy for this
is to raise the market-price of labour—to ss-
lieve the market of this excess—;and, by making
some provision for t
rov hose e
wh
general condition of
o cennot find em-
ployment, to improve th
the people. So far we have shown the neces-
sity of doing something
next question to relieve the
we hpo puave
la-
Lion of Ireland ; and
to remark upon is the policy of encouraging
emigration, particularly to Canada.
nately it is a topic on ;yllich little need be said—
for we are not aware of any solid objection to it
which requires any lengthened iirfument. The
principal objection to it we have set oat by state
ing—and as to the senseless clamour atiopi, re-
moving these poor wretches from their native
soil, and the friends and the associates of their
youth—the simple answer is, we do not compel
them to go ; but when they cannot find food
and work at home, we assist them at very consie
ilerahle expense to seek it in another country.
But it is asked, what hardships must they not
de Undoubtedly they must undergo
undergo
many. Lue let us in our turn ask, from what
hardships are they not relieved ? The very
hardships they
• ,
fly
from suffer is part of the price of their
relief, which they may either accept of or de-
cline. They miser and famine, and
are aided to seek refuge at the price of their
labour and the endurance of haidsllips inseparable
From a new and .nortnern
c--Ina-e. It cannot be