Star.
London, England, 1824-04-09 00:00:00

STATE OF IRELAND.

Earl DARNLEY now moved the Order of the Day,
and also the reading of that part of the Lords Com-
missioners' Speech, at the opening of the Session, which
related to Ireland, and which was immediately read by
the Assistant Clerk as follows •_u In Ireland, which has
for time past been the subject of his Majesty's particu-
lar solicitude, there are many indications of amend-
ment ; and his Majesty relies upon your continued en- ,
deavours to secure the welfare and happiness of that
part of the United Kingdom."
Earl DAttNLEY assured their Lordships, that
had he not been anxious to bring the question of
Ireland before the House, he might with propriety
have deferred his Motion till a later [.eriod of the Ses-
sion, when possibly more papers might be laid upon the
table of the House; but his object at present was only
to give a geheral outline of the condition of Ireland,
and, therefore he had not delayed what appeared not to
admit of postponemerit ; for unless their Lordships
should agree to advise his Majesty's Government to
adopt far different measures titan► were pursued with re-
gard to Ireland, they would regret, too late, such in-
difference and such neglect. In proceeding to address
their Lordships, he begged them to consider not the in-
competency of the speaker, but rather the importance of
the subject brought before them. He felt the more in•
duced to discharge the duty he had undertaken, from
looking to the flourishing state of England, now, per-
haps, the most prosperous, though not the most ex-
tended, countay in existence; when he saw the manu-
facturers of England so flourishing, and her agricul-
ture fast reviving from its long depression, with her su-
periority in credit; when, also, he reflected on her
anxiety for meliorating the condition of the colonial
slaves, it was impossible. not directly to be struck with
the circumstance so appalling—that our nearest and
dearest relative, the Sister Kingdom, of more importance
than all our other dependencies, was leis happy than,
perhaps, any other spot in Europe. But, before he pro-
ceeded further, he was anxious to guard against the im-
putation of hostility on his part towards the Govern•'
meat of Ireland ; to the Governor of that country he
had been taught, even from his childhood, to look up
as one of the most distinguished ornaments of his
native land; he had, in after years, listened with de-
light to the statesman-like eloquence of that noble per-
son; and he (Earl Darnley) had only to regret that' the
Noble Marquis should have accepted of the Viceroyalty
of Ireland in circumstances the most unpropitious to
him. It furnished one proof, however, of the true po-
licy of the Noble Marquis, and that he had acted well
upon the whole, that he was unpopular with both the
parties whose animosities and whose excesses still di-
vided Ireland. He was also here anxious that the No-
ble Earl opposite (Liverpool) should understand must
distinctly, that he did not bring forward this Motion in
sheer opposition to his measures; for he (Earl Darnley)
was ready to admit, that his Majesty's Government had
latterly done much towards the benefit of Ireland by
collateral measures ; as, for instance, the prospective
provisions of the Tithe Composition Act, and the Bill
in progress with regard to Irish Burials; so far, there-
fore, he would speak in favour of the present Guyer a-
merit, and he wished full success to them. But, amidst
all these ameliorations, it could not be disguised, that
the Insurrection Act existed ; and much he leared,such
was the anarchical state Ireland, that their Lordships
would be called upon to sanction its renewal for the pre-
sent year, which, owing to a conviction of its necessity,
he must reluctantly vote for. With respect to another
Act, the Constabulary Bill, he was not prepared to say,
in the present state of Ireland, that even that dissocia-
ting Act might not happen to prove a ❑ecessary mea-
sure; but it so happened, on the other hand, that those
conservators of the peace, called constables, had contri-
buted to the perpetration of outrages, which not untie-
quently had terminated in murder. He did not deny
that there were other symptoms of melioration with re-
gard to Ireland c it was likely, for instance, that some

portion of the superabundant capital enjoyed by Eng-
land might fled its way partially to It eland ; but the
spirit of party animosity, which was now higher in that
country than at any former period, would counteract
the benefit that might otherwise accrue to Ireland him
the influx of British capital. He did not, however,
mean to complain, as it respected the former country,
of its government at the present day, but of the misgo-
vernment of Ireland for centuries past. If their Lord-
ships were doubtful upon this point, he begged them to
read over the history of Ireland, and then a k them-
selves (from the reign of Henry H. to that of tier). IV.)
whether such oppression on the one handoand sue:, suf-
fering on the other band, had any counterpart in the
ifinory of civilized Sears? Were not distinction; kept
up, tenaciously maintained, between tl.e Irish and the
English, and between the Catholics and the l'rotent-
ants is that country, though perhaps those diometions.
might be a little softened down? With respect to the
administration of justice in Ireland, no impartiality yet
existed there,notwithst.tnding the wihes Government,
and nothing tort of a rever-al of tie present ~stem
would do goad. It was impossible to take a general
view of the actual state of ii eland without first looking
to the natural rights of the larger proportion of the
people of that ccaintry ; and here he adverted, as their
Lordships wou7di:erctive, to that great question efCa-
tholic Emancipation, where indeed the (nips troLandi
still remained with the Grseernnient. The danger to be
apprehended in this crisis seas evidently not proceeding
float the Catholic:-, but from 'the other side; and upon
this topic he Might appeal to the moral fin ce Of public
opinion, as to dive-ting such numbers of individuals of
all eligibility to office, which they must otherwise hold
in the State. At this time, however, when there was no
apprehension of external danger—when there was the
pi aspect of peace for many years—be would entreat
their Lordships to divest themselves of prejudices, and
so to adopt some comprehensive and conciliatory mea-
sure with regard to Ireland. It was certain that much
had already been done by his Majesty's Government
for the general melioration cf Ireland ; but, from first
to last, it was remarkable that no measure had succeeded
in the end, so that there appeared to be a speciesxf fa-
tality to render all meliorations abortive. This was, in-
deed, a complaint of long standing, and what was writ-
ten by an Eaglish Secretary three hundred years ago,
with regard to Ireland, would apply to her situation
now ; and he was persuaded that unless their Lordships
were prepared to adopt at once the only true principle
of melioration, they never would succeed in their en-
deavours to pacify Ireland. It was objected that the
present was not the time fOr definitive measures, when
the Catholics were so violent ; but, in his opinion, this
resistance was to be charged on the Anti-Catholic ri-
baldry which some Ecclesiastics had indulged in, and,
the abusive publications that were issued in consequence,
and it was rather too much to expect that in such cases
good would be returned for evil. If, therefore, their
Lordships would apply their minds to the subject—it,
as he said before, they would inform themselves better
with respect to It eland,they would find that nothing but
reversing the whole system with regard to that country
was likely to do any good. There must be an altera-
tion in the Representative System as respecting Ire-
land, and some deference shewn for even that super-
stitious veneration in which Catholics held their Church.
Without at all disparaging the rights of the Prelates of
the Established Church, he thought that wherever an
extreme case was fairly made out—when there was a
manifest disproportion between the salaries and the
duties of the Clergy of the Established Church in Ire-
land—their Lordships ought to interfere. He hoped
that his meaning was pretty clear, and that nothing he
had just advanced would be applied to the Church of
England, which was, indeed, quite different to that of
Ireland. In this country the true splendour of the
Church harmonised with the Monarchy and Aristocracy;
but the parallel did not hold good respecting the
Established Church of Ireland, where, instead of wealth
there was poverty, and where, in a country which con-
tained 7,000,000 of inhabitants, not above half a million
were followers of the Established Church. What he
wished was, to render the wealth of the Church of Ire-
land (which under such circumstances was rather great)
more beneficial to all classes of his Majesty's suhjezts
in that part of the United kingdom. Such a measure
ought not to take place during the life-time of the pre-
sent beneficial ies; but, abating this impediment, no
measure was more likely to effect two great objects—
a competent provision for the education of the poor in
Ireland, and also for the support of the Catholic Priests.
He was convinced that, sooner or later, some such re-
gulation as that just mentioned must be adopted, if it
was intended to connect Ireland more firmly with this
country. He wished a Commission to be appointed for
that purpose, but much of its success would depend on
the manner in which such a Commission were formed ;
for if the members were too much imbued with Irish
prejudices, no good result could be expected from it.
Every system of administration had proceeded on false
grounds with regard to Ireland. It was thus, in the
year 1733, that schools were instituted in Ireland for
the conversion of the children of Catholics to the Pro-
testant religion, a measure which, owing to its insidious
nature, not only had failed, but done much mischief.
Not more than two thousand children a-year had been
so educated since the Union, at the expense of nearly a
million of money. Of another class of seminaries, the
Diocesan Schools, which originated in the reign of
Henry VIII. not above ten continued to be supported.
No better account was given by the Returns now upon
the table of the Parochial Schools; and he was quite
certain that it was impossible to caeduct the education
of the It 6h poor upon such a sit The same ob-
jections would apply to Religious 'Tract Societies,which
curried their counteraction with them. Ile was there•
fore of opinion that nu Commission for Ireland could
expect to succeed whose object, in the first instance. was
not irreproachable, and which did not disavow all at-
tempts at proselytism, direct and indirect, in attemtaing
to improve the great bulk of the people of Ireland,—
He came now to another part of the subject, of very
great importance, the vast population of the country,—
.Ihe introduction of the potatoc, by the natural muse
of nature, led to that effect. The potatoe not only sup.
plied food, but also furnished fuel for boiling it. In so
numerous a population, suffering under such a variety

very great advantages, and, if not checked in the
birth, was likely to produce still greater. The resi-
dent gentry !I:mild take care that public works should
not be made a mete job, as was too often the case.--..
He held in his hand the repot t of an eminent surveyor,
by whicir he was suppoi ted in the assertion, that the
repair dfatoads was conducted in the most careless man-
ner. (The Noble Lord read part of the Report). No
efforts on the part of Governinsnt could be. successful
unless those who ought to besthe lonal•gnardians of the
people interfered. He thought the appointment of a
commission to inquire into the subject might be pre-
duCtive of consider able good. He had now gone through
the various topics to which lie willed to call the atten-
tion of the ltome, but in a manner very unsatisfactory
to himself. Ik would however shortly recapitulate
those about which he was most anxious. In the first
place, he considered it quite clear that no permanent be-
nefit could be expected until the question affecting the
Roman Catholics was settled, :t question which had
long agitated, and still continued to agitate that unfor-
tunate country. Their Lordships should take up the
matter dispassionately, and see whether concession
might not be made the foundation of a system of use-
ful measures. He was willing that every proper and
wise precaution should be taken for the perfect security
of the Church Establishment. The next thing to be con-
sidered was the state of the Church property in Ireland,
with a view to its amelioration. The education and
improvement of the condition of the people would of
course form a material part of any system of measures
that might be proposed. He felt assuted, however, that
no system could be successful unless it came recom-
mended by the Government. From the paternal dis-
position his Majesty had always evinced towards-Ire-
land ; from his patting admonition to the people on
leaving the country ; from the sentiments he evinced oa
any subject connected with its interests, he had no doubt
that if measures of amelioration came recommended
from the Crown they could not rail to be successful,
and that the Reverend Bench would sacrifice some of
their scruples with respect to certain points. The effect
would be to strengthen in place of endangering that
Establishment which it was the wish of all to maintain,
whatever difference of opinion there might be as to the
best means of doing q:). The Noble Load on the \Noel-
sack himself would allow that a Government might be
essentially Protestant though Catholics were admitted
to the benefits of the Constitution. He was anxious
again to add, that a recommendation from the Crown
could not fail to be productive of the best consequences.
He anticipated the best results from his Majesty's visit;
but he was sorry to say that in those anocipations he
was disappointed. It was truly lamentable to see a
country so favoured by nature overwhelmed by such a
mass of evil. This very fertility, in place of being a
blessing, was converted into a curse. Seeing that all
the means hitherto adopted were not successful, that the
distresses and disturbances were still as great as ever,
he hoped the paternal mind of his Majesty would sug-
gest the propriety of some other system of measures.
Ile called upon their Lordships to take the matter into
their most serious consideration, without reference to
the manner in which it was brought before them, or
the inability of the person, but the impm tance of the
subject itself. For GOO years the history of Ireland pre-
sented nothing but a series of blood and slaughter, of
force on one side and resistance on the other ; and still,
at a great expense of men and money, they were able
to keep the country only moderately tranauth if they did
not alter the systerri, and govern by other means than the
swore, not twenty-four ror fifty thousand men would
be sufficient to secure safety and repose. It was now
peculiarly important that it should he tranquillised,
when France possessed sec!' facility of
ahnoyance by
holding the pi incipal parts of Split,. It was not pos-
sible that the natural jealssa.y of France would allow
England to reniam peace for ameos years ; and in
a part of the em-
the event of war, what Advalitige sLe not derive
et taken to pftioten?i theNodi,s,ctieincttenniti
that
was
sth
mareo tc.
conci-
liate the people. The vonedy invariably applied was
and warm-water. No man
the warmth of the
the hearts of such a people; but it was impossible
Srllitisa'eSilteair‘tj.lll)::llll:l:n.t:jl.lhriesi'l;lmvut:stof desirable to obtain
they could cuts.: win feelings of such attachment towards