The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-13 00:00:00

TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 13, 1841.

The still pending elections in Ireland bring that
country under our notice, and induce us to put that
question so often asked, and yet so hard to be an-
swered, que deriendra d' Irelande ? Under a Conserva-
tive government we shall certainly expect a decided
improvement in the administration of its affairs. No-
thing could have been—nothing can be—worse than
the Whig system; and, consequently, the country will
come out of their hands in a worse state than they
found it. If any improvement has taken place there
of late, the Government has had no share in promot-
ing it ; it has been effected rather in spite of them,
than at their instance, or by their co-operation. The
first duty of a new administration, as it is the first duty
of every administration, will be to give the utmost
possible amount of security both to person and pro-
perty, and to do this through the legitimate channels
of constituted authority and law. We have not
the slightest doubt on our mind that a ministry of
which Sir Robert Peel would be chief, would make the
faithful and honest discharge of this great duty a pa-
ramount and unceasing object of their attention, and
it is with us a very material reason why we desire to
see such a ministry appointed. The people of Eng-
land are deeply concerned in this particular; indeed
they are much more nearly concerned in the affairs of
Ireland generally, than they have been for the most
part aware ; for this is certain, that if Ireland could, by
any possible contrivance, or combination of measures,
be brought to a peaceable, orderly, and, consequently,
prosperous state ; if amongst her people universally
an attachment to England, and English institutions
could be promoted, and made to take the place of ha-
tred and disaffection ; if Ireland could be made to par-
ticipate throughout the length and breadth of her
boundary in the blessings of English industry, civili-
sation, and contentment ;—a blessing would be thereby
conferred upon England, and the Nation at large, such
as it would be impossible to estimate too highly. This
is an assertion which no man who has reflected on the
subject will dispute : it is nearly a self-evident truth.
It is, in fact, the starting point with all (and they are
many) who have even written or spokcn about Leland
and its affairs. Every man who has ever propounded
a nostrum for the remedy of Irish evils, or grievances,
has endeavoured to recommend it as of immense va-
lue not only to Ireland but to this country also; and,
doubtless, if this infallible elixir could be procured, all
the indescribable charm of its healing powers would be
experienced, if not equally, yet in certain proportions,
in both countries.

Mr. Alison, alluding to the fact that Ireland had
been left without any general poor law till very recent-
ly, says, " This immense accumulation of unrelieved
" misery for two hundred and fifty years, has been by
" far the greatest sin for which the British government
" has to answer ; and it is under its effects that the

" empire is now universally and justly labouring.
" Pauperism, recklessness, want of foresight were thus
" perpetuated in the land; and in the midst of the
" British empire a perennial spring of destitution and
" redundant numbers was opened, which, flowing in-
" cessantly for two centuries and a half, has overspread
" all the three kingdoms, and brought upon their inha7
" bitants that just retribution which so long continued

" a neglect of human suffering could not fail, under
" the administration of a righteous Providence, in the
" end to induce." It is calculated by Humboldt that
Ireland, besides doubling its own population, has added
a million during the first quarter of the present cen-
tury to the poor of this country, being above the rate
of 50,000 a-year ; and there is no doubt that her an-
nual contribution has not in the least diminished, if it
has not increased, since the end of that period. Is it
not proper then that the people of this country should
feel, even for their own sakes, some small degree of
curiosity or interest about such an ojicina pentium, or
pauperum, and inquire if there are any means by which
they can be saved from so large an annual influx and
addition to their already over-stocked towns and mar-
is; but it is even
kets of labour? Unquestionably it