The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-09 00:00:00

111 E BtAltsivia

New Yak Papers have teethed wa this morning to
the 17th June, from which we extract the following:
Accounts from Pernambuco to the 22d April state,
that heavy bonds were required of all vessels sailing
thence for the South, not to touch at St. Salvador. The
Brasillian deo, under Lord Cochrane, had arrived off
the latter place, and also 900 troops from Rio Janeiro to
aid in the reduction of the place. Skirmishing took
place daily between the besieging troops and those of
the city, and a decisive engagement was expected.

Lord Liverpool, in moving the second reading of the
Irish Tythe Bill last night, made some curious observa-
tions. Among others, he said, "he could not but look
" forward with hope to the progress of knowledge and
" information, for the extension of the (Protestant)Cliorcit
"in Ireland." The fact is, that the influence of the
Protestant Church is daily retrograding ;—that its mem-
bers are on the decline; and that its character must be
restored, before it can hope to exercise any beneficial io
flueuce in Ireland. The case, which we reported in our
paper of yesterday, will satisfactorily illustrate the fact,
that the tythe system in Ireland must be put an end to,
before the Established Church can expect to be respect-
able iu the eyes of the people. A reverend gen-
tleman applies to a civil magistrate for a warrant of
distress against certain persons who are in arrears of.
tythes. The warrant is granted to the proctor, who goes
to execute it at the head of a party of military police,
" four mount.-. 1, and seven dismounted," with a Lieuten-
ant Hawksbaw at their head. Away they march, abd
proceed to seize the cattle of the peasantry; who, not com-
prehending bow they can owe any thing to the professed
teachers of a creed which they do not believe, and upon
whose ministry they do not attend, resist the seizure.
The idea of executing the warrant is at an end. The police
fiad themselves in jeopardy, and discharge their fire-
arms. A contest ensues. The proctor cod one of the
police is killed. Two of the peasantry are shot dead.
Numbers, are wounded on both sides ;—and this oc-
curs in the execution of a measure necessary to " uphold
the interests of the Protestant Church:'' This is a system
to which Lord Liverpool has no objection "in the ab-
street !" We cannot c4aceive any thing more offensive
to the name, or more destructive of the interests of reli-
gion than such a system; and we are satisfied that Lord
Carnarvon is correct when he says we must get rid of the
tytbe system, or we shall get rid of Ireland. The Lord
Chancellor took an occasion to repeat that, tythes were
" not a tax—but that the one tenth was as much the pro.
" perty of the clergyman, as the remaining nine-tenths
" were the property of the land-owner." This assertion
demands notice. That a clergyman has a right
to emoluments of which be is in the possession,
and that be ought not to be deprived of them
wantonly. is allowed. But that future incumbents have
a right to succeed to enormous and unwarrantable emo-
laments, to the destruction of the property, and the ruin
of the peace of a country, because such emoluments have
been enjoyed by others, is preposterous. If this question
of property, were any thing, it would prove that the Pro-
testant Church ought not to have one shilling of tythe.
The property, if such it be, originally belonged to
the,Catholic Church ; and the title to the when
must rest with them. But. the idea is ridiculous.
The tythe is only a Parliamentary tax for the sup-
port
of the Church ; and the amount to be levied is,
as much now at the discretion of the Legislature, as
when it was first imposed. Meo do not hold their
titles to their estates by Acts of Parliament.
There is no similarity between the cases. The
analogy will not hold for a moment. In every country
the Revenues of the Church have been regulated, en-
creased, and diminished, as any other import for a par.
titular purpose has been regulated. The present Bill,
as it affects Ireland, will produce no good whatever. I i
1
the clause to compel the clergymen to consent to a com-
position had remained, it might, in some very estreme
1 cases, have been of use: but as it now stands, it will be
a perfect nullity; or operate but so partially, that it will
be but seasoning a fresh-water-lake, with one grain of
salt. The disposition to govern the Catholic population of
Ireland by force alone will daily encrease the difficulties
of its execution, until Ireland will make a frenzied and
1 gigantic effort to throw off the yoke. It only requites
, I that the disorders which periodically afflict Ireland should
occur simultaneously in the various districts, to produce
this crisis; and it is strange that the English Matistry
will not see that the extension of the evil threatens to
produce this result, at a very early period. We ath the
more anxious upon this point, because we feel
that upon the real union of England and Ireland
our rank :n the scale of nations depends; and if
ever Ireland is induced, by oppression and misrule,
to throw herself int.) the arms of France, we shall regret,
but *too late, that we would not be content with ber
friendship, without having her at Our feet as a degraded
1 and heart-broken slave. 1

Sir James Macintosh presented last night a curious
petition from the emancipated convicts of New South
Wales; from which it appears that from the mere inat-
tention of the Government at home, to confirm the pro.
ceedings of the Government in the colony, the parties
remain in a legal poiot of view, in the condition of " at-
tainted felons!" Surely enough is paid for the services
of the Members of the Administration, to enable the
country to insist upon the immediate remedy of such
palpable grievances; and the Bill to regalate the juris.
diction of the Colonies, imperfect as it is, would carry
with it some alteration, if a clause were inserted to pro-
tect the interests of the petitioners, whose case is pecu-
liarly severe. We hope Sir James Macintosh will per-
sist in his endeavouri to obtain such a clause, to which
no rational objection could he'urged. The Colonial
Secretary, we are aware, pleads want of time; hut Sir
James can obviate this plea by preparing a clause to meet
the exigency of the case.
The report of the Committee on the state of the
Milbank Penitentiary, we perceive, exempts the
management of that Establishment from all blame;
and attributes the extraordinary mortality to " din
eases of an epidemic nature, not unfrequently pre-
vailing in certain districts." We are not satisfied with
this sAution. The public is in possession of the fact.
that the provision allowed to the convicts last summer,
was iawdequate to maintain a healthy existence. This is
upon record; and the quantity of food has been consider.
Ably increased. The effects of a want of food would be
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but imperceptibly felt for some time ; Indio the progress
of a few months, they would assume a character sutficient
to accduot for an epidemic disorder, in a close prison,
built upon a swamp, and exposed to all those atmosphe-
ric canoes which en the evils of contagions
diseases. It is singular that the thing-third inqadaitiou
during the present year should have been held on the day
before this report was made.
/dr. Home brought forward his motion on the tacking
of the Appropriation Ciente to a Bill of Supply; but on
the assurance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that
he had no intention of stealing the clause through the
House; and that, in future, he would take such open
measures, as should prevent any possible charge of an
intention to take the House by surprise, Mr. Hume coo-
rented to withdraw his resolution.

After some conversation on the Distillery Bill, in the
course of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer pledged
himself to introduce, during the course of next Session, a
measure to assimilate the Distilleries of the three Coon
tries,—Mr. Hume, moved a series of resolutions relative
to abuses in the management of the collection of the
land-tax. From his statement, it would appear that
there is no regular or efficient controul on the part of-
any responsible officer over the sums collected, and, in
addition to the instances mentioned by Mr. Hume, we
can add one, that is within our own knowledge, which
will, at any rate, show the loose and uncertain prin
ciples on which the collectors proceed. A charge
was male for land-tax, on certain premises ; to which the
tenant replied that the land-tax was redeemed. This the
tenant understood to have been the fact, as be had been
so told by the freeholder; but, on further enquiry, it
was found not to be the case. The collector, however,
was satisfied with the answer, and no further demand wail
made for several years. Now the land-tax might have
been redeemed, and the occupier, ignorant of the matter,
might have paid it again. There are many secrets in
the art and mystery of collectorship with which the
public are unacquainted. A gentleman once being
asked what he meant to make of a son of very pro-
mising abilities, replied, " Either a collector of land-
tax, or a member of parliament." Perhaps he deemed
the pickings of the one situation might be as profitable as
the cheese-parings and candle-ends of the other.
. . .

The Solicitor-General made a sly attempt to pull Chief
Baron O'Grady through the House last night, by a mo.
Goa that the House saw no reason to suspect any iwpro-
per motive, in the increase of his fees. Mr. Canning, how-
ever. would not express any opinion on this mode of pro-
ceeding ; and after some conversation the consideration
of the report was adjourned. Mr. Scarlett thought the
concurrence of the fee payers was in favour of the Chief
Baron. Poor creatures ! They never dreamt that their
concurrence was at all necessary.