The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-08-02
SCENES IN THE IRISH METROPOLIS.
Decay of Industry and In
crease Of Snobbery.
THE AGITATION FOB HOME RULE.
Mr.. Butt, the Leader, May
Visit America.

Wnue on the voyage from New York to Queens
town, an American gentleman, a member OF the
legal profession, was discussing with me the pres
ent condition OIL Ireland. We were talking about the
Act OF Union OF 1900 which united the Parliament
OF Ireland with that Of England, and the dis
astr0ns consequences which followed 10 the 'rade
and com 'lerce Oh Dublin where, during the setting
of the Legislature the nobility and gentry resided
for seven or eight months or each year, IN their
capacity OF representatives Of the people, and
spent their money freely among all classes OF the
citizens. Said this American gentleman, when
the act OF union was accomplished II cut the head
OH Ireland and destroyed her capital. II took the
wealth OF the nation away to England and Grip
pied all those trades that derived vitality and
prosperity from the expenditure caused by the
residence OF native aristocrary in DublIn.r
You correspondent replied to these remarks by
saving that every person who had even the Slight.
est information about Ireland and the Irish
metropolis was now aware OF the fact that
the once splendid houses of Dublin,
formerly the homes OF men Of fortune
and position, have gone to decay or have been
converted into hospitals, houses OF refuge stores
or public institutions. Tyrone House, formerly
the residence OF the Marquis Of WATERFORD Is now
used as the oflces Of the National Board Of Edu-
cation. Mora House, on Ussher's Quay, once the
beautiful residence Of LORD Mo1ra has been long O
mendicity Institution. The palace OF the Earl or
Powerscourt, in William street, has been con-
verted into dry goods shop. The house OF Lord
Belvedere has been tor several years school
house. The elegant residence OF the Earl Of Char.
lemOnt in Rutland square, where Grattan and the
other leaders OF the Irish Parliament often met,
II now government once, believe The house IN
Ely place In which Lord Clare, she active and un-
scrupuious supporter Of the Union, lived, ia
IN Inok
as the proud and overbearing man who once
owned 1t. The noble mansion OF the Duke OF
Aeinster, In Kildare street, has been for several
years used for the purposes OF the Royal Dublin
Society; other houses, once gay with fashion and
made remarkable by the reunions OF an in tellectua
and refined society, have been deserted
BY their occupants and are now last
going to ruin, or let in tenements. where
poverty tries hard to disguise Its painful features.
In place OF this elegant society and those hand.
some mansions In which this society dlspor ted
itself, what have we9 society OF doctors and
barristers, who make 1t almost an especial study
70 procure "nvlatious" to the levees and balls at
the Castle, where q lord lieutenant performs
the part OF
MOCK KING,
and sees many q one WAC has been Fostering hun
for place and pension under the government OF
Great Britain. In lea OF native aristocracy in
Dupn there Is a crowd OF doctors and
barristers without practice. There are SO
many doctors residing in Merton square that
side OF IL has been aceriously termed "Pll Box
Row." Brieness barristers torture the govern
ment for situations, and sometimes saved
from almost certain starvation by convenient
appointments Is Is fact universally admitted
here that the independence OF the irish Bar, once
the glory and the pride OF the country, is gone.
from that Bar pleading the cause OF Ireland. The
reverse vas the case in the days OF Curran. In
those days the Bar OF Ireland was independent;
to-day 1t is, to a great extent corrupt, and It is
most certainly enslaved. barrister who is ex-
pccting place from the government dare not say
single word in favor OF home rule; dare
not attend O meeting for any object whatever, un-
less that object be approved by the government.
II lie spoke In support OF any matters not sane.
toned by the powers that be, ii be uttered word
favorable to the sitting up OF a parliament in Dub
lin, he would be tabOoed from the society OF the
Castle, and, in that case, his chance OF obtaining
m al pOintment would be about as great as Ills
chance OF making miestOnes dance BY whstling
ugs ~ them. This is a sad case
FASHIONABLE SOCIETY
here 10 made up, Tor the most part, OF persons
shat are favorable TO the connection OF Ireland
upon government employ Tor their income There
are, OF course, exceptions to this. There are re-
tired merchants and country gentlemen VINO want
content TO 1--we IN ease on the wealth they have
acquired BY honest industry IN trade and farming.
One Ut the great difficulties IN Ireland Is that PEG.
pie are very rich or very poor, and there Is TOOL
ish, almost disgusting, pride among a portion Of
the pOpufatiOn-the sons OF men who have money
that makes them walking gentlemen" instead Of
workers or earners at some useful calling. This
kind of thing Is hurting the country considerably,
and Is an eva that has remained long unchecked.
II you ask Dubliner, "Is Ireland progressing in
Improvement or is it not w "Is tue trade Of
SSS1 ySa msy an BE- certain YOU
Get different answers to those questions one
Will say. ''Look at the buildings that have been
put up and are now being put up" Another Will
observe, wages have advanced; laborers and
skilled mechanics are better paid than they have
money, getting, as they 90, enormous prices for
their cattle" This may be all true; but 1t would
seem that there Is not general diffusion OF wealth
state Of distress But 1t must be remembered that
1t is to the fierce and terrible blasts OF the Allan
tic ocean, which ocean washes the whole range of
every country, and there is distress here; to how
great an extent 1t exists Is a question that your
Correspondent Will not at present discuss.
THE SITUATION AS IT WAS.
In 1885, the year oil the insurrectlOn and three
years anterior to the period OF the Union, Lord
Clare, speaking in the irish Parliament, SAID -
'rr here Is nation on the ace OF the nabltable
globe which has advanced in cultivation, IN agfi-
culture anc in manufactures with the same apid-
At the time these words were uttered the Par
lament was sitting In Dublin and the Irish nobil-
1ty and gentry we're living at home and spending
their fortunes among their own people. WHAT are
they doing now2 Many OF them are absentees
who draw their rents from oppressed tenants and
spend them In England or on the Continent.
AS 1T IS AFTER THE UNION.
The union has been in existence Tor seventy
three years. What is the conditiOn OF Ireland to-
day' In 1882 the Rev. Charles BoytoD, clergy.
man OF the Anglican Church, delivered speech at
meeting OF tho Protestant Conservative Society
OF ireland. He compared the number OF sheep
eoid at The fair OF BanaslOe with the number sold
and exported In the year in which he was speak
rug. he took the number sold IN each year as q
sest o! the number Of sheep in the county, and he
sOok tne number exported as showing that the
.e s were sold at home On the 18tn OF November
1873, At the first days meeting OF the Home Rule
conference Mr. Butt alluding to this speech OF Mr..
bOytOns, said:-
VIII compare the number of sheep sold at the great
AIT ~ balnasioe the numbe in the Years
~ ana Su take the numbers for 100, from Mr. Boy
Ion speech those for 1870 from that re per.
Lory 81 Irisb sansucs, the Almanac Mr. Thorn Here