The New York herald., 1870-01-13
Irish Rsform--John Brisht's speech mt
Birming ham.

now Cabinet Minister, delivered an important
and suggestive speech at Birmingham on
Tuesday night. A condensed but long report,
embracing the chief points Of this speech, was
telegraphed instantly through the local tele-
graph lines and Atlantic cable from Birming-
ham to New York, and, as our readers are
aware, was published yesterday morning, a
few hours after the speech was delivered, in
the HERALD. So much for the enterprise Of
the American press and the lightning speed OF
intelligence through the telegraph.
The main topic of Mr.. Brights speech was
reform for Ireland, though he adverted to other
subjects embraced in the resolutions of the
public meeting to which he spoke. In referring
to the resolution expressing confidence in the
liberal policy Of the government he said
he believed that at the end of the next session
of Parliament similar vote would be earned
and received. This shows that the Cabinet,
Of which he Is member, has laid out its
work of comprehensive reform with the pur-
pose Of pushing it through against any obsta-
cles; for we cannot suppose Mr.. Bright would
express views or hopes not entertained by his
colleagues in the government. This is more
apparent when we consider the language he
used with regard to the House Of Peers. Con-
servative, and even obstinate as the Lords
were, he showed how they had yielded to
public opinion in the case Of the disestablish-
ment of the Irish Church and on other occa-
sions. The Lords, he said, admitted then that
no institution, however ancient, grand and his
torcal it might be, is safe if opposed to the
convictions and voice of the people, thus
broadly intimating that the House of Peers
would hardly venture to oppose the reform
measures the Cabinet contemplated, and that
if it should that ancient and grand institution
of the British government might be swept
away. This was bold language for Cabinet
Minister, but quite characteristic of Mr.
Bright.
to be urged upon Parliament is land reform in
Ireland. Irish proprietorship, he asserted. is
really coniscation, which is the result Of con-
quest, and is only justifiable by conquest This
was going to the root of the matter and long
way back in history; but he said what is true.
Not long ago such an expression would have
been denounced in England as rank agrarian-
ism, and it only shows what remarkable pro-
gress liberal ideas have made within the last
few years In that country. From the time the
lands Of Ireland were seized and appropriated
by the English conquerors the condition of the
peasantry has been getting worse and worse.
A large number Of these proprietors have been
absentees, and the money they have drawn
or in foreign countries. The lands
were leased and sub-leased to such an
extent that the landlords and middle
men took all the profits Of the farmers and
agricultural laborers, and these poor people
had to live upon potatoes. The very hogs
which they raised and fattened went to pay
their rent, and they could not afford to taste
meat themselves. But this was not the only
evil, great as it was. They were constantly
subject to ejectment when unable to pay the
enormous rents and taxes imposed upon them.
Thousands upon thousands of families were
thus thrown houseless upon the cold charities
of the world. We saw the consequence of this
fearful land system when two millions of people
perished because of the failure of the potato
crop some years ago. 1t is this system which
Mr.. Bright proposes to reform. The old cry
OF proprietary and vested rights in the soil, of
which the English government has been here
tofore SO tenacious, will avail no longer. The
well being of the mass Of the community and
cultivators of the soil has become the first con-
sideration. The change proposed, as far as
we can understand it from Mr.. Bright's words,
is the most sweeping and radical ever conten,-
plated by the British government. But it
claims Mr.. Bright, ''must be stopped. The
eight hundred thousand policemen and soldiers
must be withdrawn from Ireland" In short,
the plan suggested involves an extraordinary
social and political revolution, which, If carried
out, cannot fail to give peace to Ireland.
One remarkable expression that Mr.. Bright
made deserves some notice. Speaking Of the
power of the government over this matter of
reform, he says, IA reform Parliament can do
as much for Ireland as Ireland, if independent
as an American State, could do for herself"
A voice in the meeting cried "No!" to this ex.
preston, showing that there was some admirer
of America or lover of Irish independence
present. Mr.. Bright added, "Ireland now has
churches and schools and soon will have free
lands and votes" But why this allusion to
Americas Does Mr.. Bright think there might
be possibility, if even remote, Of Ireland be-
coming an American State? To say the
least it was a strange expression. We
heard very intelligent Englishman
say lately that the time was coming
when all the English speaking people and race
on both sides of the Atlantic would be united
in some way under republican form Of gov
ernment. Is such an idea as this fermenting
in England? Has Mr.. Bright become in any
.u.x. ;o1ootr;ro<ad ,ry;tb u,,ob a <booruo