Star.
London, England, 1831-08-12 00:00:00

0, V N (.1

'2.X .3f.--

MCP. SP.VENTENWE.

The people feel that they are hijuret!—feel that they ar
oppressed—that they are atteutdoned by the higher orders.
and in this state of t MOTS they are too ready to listen to the
desperate councils of tiesuerve men If ever went) order
should be disturbed in rim country, we tear the higher ranks
would have but too much canoe to lament their having with-
drawn themselves tram toe sympathies rat the people.
H RICA 1.1) —A warm debate arose in the House of r
moos on the presenting of a petition from the lnhahitanta of
Waterford, complaining of Inc outrage' committed by the
yeomanry at Netnownharry. Whatever opinions different
parties may entertain as to the conduct of the Catholics of
Ireland, we think it is to he inferred from the general tenon,
of this debate, in which several of the most espvrieoc-t1 and
influentiai members from Ireland took per, toot the Irish
yeomanry is tat the description of force best r.ticulawni to pre-
serve the peace of that country. If there were no other ob-
jection to the yeomanry than that they are obnoxious to
the people, it would be a strong reason with a judicious
Government for hesitating to employ them ; hut tho•
yeomanry of Ireland art imbued with strong political and
vied are in temper unfit for the em-
ployment abide 'ly devalued upon them Irhen
• man of so much experience in the affairs of Ireland as
S(r John Newport declares, tl'at " during the whole of his
life belted considered that force a dangerous and urfit in-
strument to maintain the peat- of Irel end." it would well
become those to whom the government is intrusted to re-
consider their determination to employ such a force.
Events, unfortunately, have come in aid of the opinion ex-
pressed by the Hon. Member, and the very occasion which
called forth the petition and the debate, afforded a fatal proof
of the justice of his sentiments.
TINE.—.We hare more than once expressed our dia.
approval of the clause for a division of counties : we now
state broadly and emphatically, that if the 25 counties named
In schedule 0 be subdivided in the manner specified by that
schedule, and adopted by the House of Commons last night,
it would be quite as well, perhaps better, for the people of
England to have u many rotten boroughs restored from
schedule A to the privilege of representation, than to be
saddled with fifty nominees for dierriere, with all the priw
tensions of freely chosen representatives, but really as
dependent an the autocrat of each
_particular lomlity fee
their seats as were the members for Gattoo or Code Cash,.
There was something in the unblushing effrontery of the
rotten boroughs that put people fairly on their guard, and
gave them the con.olation of feeling that if they were plun-
dered, it was openly.—they were not ensnared and cheated.
But in a half-county election there is some semblance of po
polarity, on which, if the freeholders, &c place reliance, it
will be to have the mortification of finding themselves mise-
rably duped and betrayed. We should have been the more
artonishal atillinisten permitting themselves to introduce
a claim of this evil nature into the bill, if we were out
auseisue what a host of aristocratic prejudices and ter-
rors arty have had to contend with at every stage of
It, and Usti what infinite diSculty; and by virtue of what
golden dreams of compromise aitd'indemnificatloo, a number
of indiiiduals connected with the higher chimes of the landed
Interest hoes been induced to lend their votes to any thing
bearing the name of reform. " Oh. never mind the bo-
roughs." ham been the cry; " it will be partly brought back
to us by the breaking up of counties—ipartly by the managss
meat of the qualifications." And, indad, if it had been
the project of ministers—which we well know it was not—
but if it had been their purpose to restore to the oligarchy
with one hand.shat with the other they had taken from them
—if It had been their scheme to gain credit fur themselves
as aubsuintial and true reformers, by demolishing a bortiugh.
monger In one shape, and bringing him to lick in another aid
more pet lions form—to say, " You shall not nominate fur
11ia so that borough, a member who atter all can be only
member for a borough," but " you shall depute a repre.'
mutative fur your estate, as you would a keeper fur your
park ; and this your tool shah take upon himself the airs of
• county member"—we are afraid that such a project could
tint have been realized more comp:cid?, than by reducing the
great mass of county electors, who could neither be jobbed,
nor intimidated, nor deluded, nor out-voted, by any junta
or single family connexion, nor borne down by the pressure
of one enormous property, to an helpless detachment, isolated
in a corner of their county, and cut of from the support of
public opinion, or front cu-operation with the teat of their
bre.bren. By this metamorphosis of the grub into the
winged insect, no profit can accrue to society.