728935-1847-29-May-1847 — Page 3

TELY Pter.

THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE

ed often to indicate the general principles on we believe Ireland can alone be governed cantage to isself, and to us, and we shall deavour to show, first-in what way those ples could have been applied to Ireland at the Sercement of the present crisis; and secondly what way they could best be applied now that h of the country are so greatly aggravated by Application of a false policy.

There have recently been presented to Parliament rarge volumes, containing copies of the official cospondence relating to the measures adopted in and since July last year. These volumes fur abandant evidence of the most important kind, i will materially aid us in the inquiry on which So far, we have a great advantage; t for the corroboration of the views which we hitherto maintained, which is furnished by page of this evidence, our task would have much more difficult.

As it is, we are willing eko the whole question upon the evidence fur- ed by this correspondence. But before we enter particularly into a consideration of the sub. we feel bound to say that the perusal of these arkable volumes has impressed us in the strong manner with the extraordinary zeal and ability which the Government measures have been Euted. From the authorities at the treasury award to the inspecting officers on the works Ireland, the whole of this correspondence exhi be the most intense anxiety and assiduity in carry Tanti-This correspondenco shows that the out the plans of the Legislature in the most country has fallen into a state of entire disorganisa. perfect and advantageous manner. From the Treation, and possesses a most insufficient police.

y minutes to the most unimportant letter, every ument exhibits a remarkable cars to avoid the rious abuses and evils to which the system was sed. Every page abounds with an acknowledg stat of the wisest principles, and with the most aking evidence of the danger of acting against The letters of Mr Travelyan, Colonel Jones, Routh, and indeed we may add, of every cer, exhibit a devotedness to an arduous, o ability in its execution, and a constant care nd abuses, which, we are bound to acknow. ke, we have never seen surpassed. The highest ele due to the manner in which these gentle. mes are performed their part. For a system to veiled so signally, under such management, is elde strong evidence against the soundness of

Im itself.

from the local gentry, the Government officers met with much opposition in the execution of their duty, from efforts made unjustifiably to profit by the pob lic money.

Fourth, That all classes flocked to the Govern ment works, neglected every independent resource, abandoned all steady industry and their wanal means of support, and the cultivation of the anil for future subsistence.

Finh,That, in spite of the utmost care on the part of the Government officers, jobbing, and the misapplication of the funds, even on the part of those on whose hid and co-operation the country had most right to depend, existed to a most fright ful extent,

Sixth,That in place of the failure of the crop in Ireland inducing the people to seek employment and food where it was more abundant, they flocked home from this country in unusual

ual numbers, for the mere sake of receiving the government pay.

Seventh, That the interference of the Govers. ment to feed the people produced apathy and idienese on their own part, dan

ill frst shortly refer to

COURSE PURSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT,

AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.

Eighth, That this demoralising system wee productive of recklessness of conduct, insubordina. lion, threatenings, and attacks on the government officers.

Ninth That it was further productive of inse- curity of property, and especially of combina ions against the payment of repte.

Eleventh,That, in the midst of all these evils, money is unusually abundant, and that the deposits, both in the savings banks and the rural banks. have, during the whole period, been increasing at an unprecedented rate.

If our readers will peruse the extracts which we publish in this day's Supplement, they will see how powerfully all these consequences are provod; and if any one will take the labour of wading through the two volumes, from which they are made, they will only be lost in wonder and regret, that a system productive of such unmitigated and desolating mis chief, and which must end in the irretrievable.ruin of Ireland and its people, should not, even now, be abandoned at all hazards.

At page 264 of the supplement will be found an example of the reckless and improvident way in which presentments for government money were voted. In the course of a few months these pré. sentments, recommended and sanctioned, amounted to no less a sum than 2,551,000-and the whole The correspondence contained in these volumes

that, as early as the month of August, the Go of Ireland, with a trivial exception, has become covered with unproductive works, on which a large resent were in possession of the most unques. noblesvidence that the potato crop had failed even majority of the labour of the country is now em. more rignally than in the previous year. The deployed. From a map published with the corres. during the pondence alluded to, we learn that out of 318 pressing year, on a very limited scale, were then baronies in Ireland, 254 are the seats of these public dell known and acknowledged on all hands worke, that in fifteen of the counties, there is not a Newidheless, it was determined to persevere in the single barony which is an exception, that in six the case to meet a similar evil, only of infinite-other counties there is only one exception, and that ly greet magnitude. It is true the Government only one county is at this moment existing without Government employment. The following list is Look omewhat greater security against abuses. than by been taken by their predecessors m office, accurately compiled from the map referred to--

moralising effects

of the course pl

In the publicar performed under Sir Robert. Peel government, the property of Ireland was chargeable with one-half of the cost, while the Go vernment furnished the other half. The inducement

thus heli pot for the aid and co-operation of those Antrim

were supposed to be thus personally interested Londonderry

Dien

"Frome

Armagh

e administration of this system of relief, had Donegal failed. The only additional guarantee which Doha Russell took to protect the Government aplast an extension of the numerous abuses which

Monaghan lready arisen, though on a compart lively amail Fermanagh

was to charge the whole of the sums advanc. | Louth he property where the public works were performed. But this security, which had so

lly filed, when applied only to one half of the Frances, ander Sir Robert Peel, proved a more complete failure when it was extended to the whole

n. When only one half was che

charged on the local property, some seem really to have believed that its payment would be enforced; but, when expanded the whole amount, the whole country appears at ace to have abandoned every expectation of repay.

Haronics

-en-in 10 20 15 Public work

la which n

૨૭૩-

Baronies

exist

which are the

seats of

Public Worka.

Butonles

Min which no

**P - Public works

Baist.

Baronics

*** 22 which are the

篷

Brought forward 46

Westmeath

Wicklow.

Kildare

93

1

11

2

-- 6-

8

5

3

1 King's County.

It.

3

Galway

1

17

*

Queen's County I

II

Carlow

1

6

5

Wexford

3

Б

Gavan

A

Kilkenny

11

Leitrim

5

Tipperary

12

Bligo Meath Longford Roscommon Mayo Dublin

6

¡Clure

11

14

Linierick

6

Waterford

D

Cork

23

9. Kerry

61 251

Public Works

|⠀⠀

46 93 Under the system which has been pursned, the numbers dependant on public works have increased

as follows

For all practical purposes, a few weeks erdent that the additional security taken by the Government had failed. Every evil which had appeared in the preceding year rapidly grew under de ter system. To these evils we have niten pointed, as the inevitable consequence of the vicious rinciple pursued. We have contended that no go. emment can interfere with advantage with the And peens of employment, or the subsistence of a pestile, | 600,

hont doing more harm than good. We contend there is no exception to this principle, that the arrable consequence

ib matters out of its o

private exertions i

usual resources of a bbing and schemi

It industry

August 15.. October $1

Novem

Decem

January

Persons employedĮ 66,924 114,330 216,489

394 255 440,687 620,00)****

has now increased to upwards of represent

of three

and the ex

ch, on the 7th

162) weekly,VRU3

ber to 158.9891

ment of a country, it should never be lost sight of. i be remembered that at the end of Augus There le scarcely a day passes that we do not ber employed on the public receive anggestions of some new resources which only 38,000, Suppose that

close of the Beaston, had power to great money for tent or which t such

quicos no new texnorces: those which are plain and palpable, and well knows, and have been tested, are greater this almost any country enjoys. Tre hand possesent climate, sail, mines, water power, fisheries and every eluihent of wealth, to an extent unknown in almost any other country. Let aay one who doubt this perse Dr Kane • edmirable wark on The Industrial Resources of Irelanil? Aud yet millions of the Irish population are de”. pendent for their support, for some months la every year upon the crop of unalt patches of this most uncertain root But how is this? How h that, i that is the midst of such extraordinary capital in not brought to the spot, and labour furnished to the people 1 landlords are not resident, Im)

murce:

Incit pro

perty, and developing sach templing sources of wealth? "It is a stale but ʼn melancholy subject –– a tale told in a few brief words. The turbulence of the people -the insecurity of life and property - short, the entire absence of an effective Go. verament has driven capital from Ireland, and stified nit the numerous efforts which have been made to extend the advantages of civilisation and regular employment to the people. No country can be said to have & Government where industry is net secured of its reward, and where life and property are unsafe,

In any country, an extensive failure of the food of the people is a cause of great apprehension in such a country as Ireland it is peculiarly so, The peculiar destitution of Ireland under a failing potatoe crop, cannot be regarded but as one of the distinct evils arising from the vices of the country and the want of an efficient government; bal for these causes, regular employment would render Ireland as independent of the potatoe as England or Bel gium. The people have ingenuity, physical strengia, and power of endurance equal to those of any other country whatever. In treating Ireland at such a crisis, in order the most effectually to afford pre- sent aid, and to turn such a period of trial into a future blessing and source of advantage, these facts should never be lost sight of. The peculiar suffer ing of Ireland at such a moment is a vindication of those great principles which God has established for the moral government of the world; and which can never be disregarded with impunity either by individuals or communities.

porary

Whatever difficulties and evils governments are called upon to grapple with, there are always two distinct modes open to them. The shortest and the easiest, by far the most agreeable, and gene. rally the most popular, is to palliate and apply tem- remedies, which, however, in the long run, invariably aggravate the evil The course attend ed with the greatest present difficulty, inconvent. ence, and, too frequently, popular olium, is that which strikes at the root of the evil, and seeks to destroy its cause. In the former case, every step you take you are further front your point; in the latter case, every movement tends to restore society to a sann, healthy, independent, and prosperous

condition.

респ

Now, in any country an extensive failure of the food of the people is a cause of political apprehen sion, but in a country in so disorganised a state as Ireland, possessing, at the best of times. In a large portion of it no efficient government, it is p ilarly so. At such a time, what is the special duty of a government? The more dangerous the state of society becomes, the more necessary is it that order and security should be enforced The ex. istence of the country depends upon it Other wise the same reasons in an aggrivated form, which in usual times deter the introduction of capital, at such a time capse its entire withdrawal from ordi nary purposes, and thus the people become more and more the victims of their own vices True patriotism and real bumanity dictate the mainten spée of peace and order at all hazards. There is no sacrifice of any kind to which a country can be subjected, which is not amply repaid by the results. But no government can be strong enough to main tain peace and order under such circumstances, unless aided by those who have a stake in the pro

eing of the country perty and well being

We have said that in treating Ireland at the commencement of the present orisis, we woul have had the government to have confined itself strictly to its own legitimate functions, of furnish- ing whatever means were caedful to pre der and to protect life and properly, purpose, no powers should

and no expenditure

rugged

the character of the Ministers

ever they were, wou rantee against zogs lend demanded. Jass

would be reg

conuda uonE OF AN

tives, to activa combination and co-operation for the common good, or frerevan, in one of his able letters, says, "It is a most important fact that the machine which we have to out once more in motion and regulate is nothing short of the whole body of Irish society, from the nobleman down, through the upper and mortale classes, to the pea

Bant

and if we do not take our mental Record ingly, we shall fell short of the occasion, sad seri ously endanger our success, and with it the lives and properties of hundreds of thousands.”

COMMERCIAL

(To be Continued.)

(From the Bombay Thada, April 17.) EXTORTS

COTTON Woot. We are a quiet market, and prices of the new Staple, arrirals of which have been very free lately, are lower than at the date of the lag report. A greater reduction would no doubt have taken place, particularly in the prices s of Broach and Surat, if a great portion of the sup plies that have come formar of these disorptions had not been required for the fitment of contracts made some time ago, but we may look for aS 3003 Rs stocks begin lo scouragiale, for the tendency of the market is undoubtedly to a farther declina. At present there is but little disposable Colton on the spot, of the new but a good quantity still remains of the old. The Broach and Dholera are both in- ferior in quality this season compared with the previous years growth, but on the other hand in Commy there is an amprovement Prices may be quoted as follow:-

Broach and Surat New Rs. 96, Of Rs. 65 a

72 per candy. Dhollera.

do. Qomrawulty.

do Compta

82 6 87, old 60

ond Rs. 65. ORION. The accounts received from China not being of an encouraging store for this drug, there is at present little demand for Milwa, the price of which has fallen to Rs. 1075 per chest. Very little good in the market.

A FREIGHTS

Several arrivals of ressers having taken place in the early part of the month, the rate of Freights to Oreat Britain declined at once from £6-15 at which engagements £T to £3 & 40-5 per too, at were made to some extent, and some small shipping orders were relet even at £5-176 per ton to Laver pool. As we have however been some days now wilboat arrivals, the rate has again got up to £15 for that port, and tonange cannot be had ender.--- The rate to Chian is down to Rs. 18 st Rs. 19 per candy.

EXCHANGE

On London the rate is at 9s a 2.0ld. per Rupee for Chias Billest 6 months' sich, with local endorse ment, and at 2011, 01d. for Local Bull. The Market appears to be steady et laese8 TADAS, Da Calcutta, 60d, sight, R593 at R98, p. Rs.100

Madras dito

直

ditle. Asares 01270-8000-Dr

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, is not an evil

Taditional decress this

the two volumes to

bound with the most conclu

four arguments. For

ders, we have made o

I few of the

Bethe

ve th

begg