tem of government) cement together every portion of the empire, in eternal union, and elevate us higher upon the pinnacle of glory, happiness, and prosperity, than any Christian nation has ever yet attained to.

God knows how far we are from such a situation at present! And amongst the numerous evils that afflict us, there is none greater than the miserable condition of Ireland, which will, in part, be seen in the following extract from a printed circular, dated Mansion House, Dublin, Jan. 17, 1828.

"The present distressed and impoverished state of the country having given occasion to the con

testants have most handsomely seconded their exertions by grants of land, as well as of money; and, in return, the children of Protestants are educated indiscriminately with Catholics, and this without any attempt at proselytism, the religious instruction being given separately. Many of these schools are supported by a religious order of lay brothers, not uncommon upon the continent, but lately introduced into Ireland by Dr. Doyle and other prelates. The sole intent of this society is the education of the poor, and those who are not engaged in teaching, maintain themselves by manual labour; yet all assistance from Government is refused them, while large sums are lavished upon places where, when a school-house is erected, no scholars can be found to occupy it.

* The Duke of Devonshire is a noble example of liberality in this respect, having lately, amongst a hundred other similar donations, given an acre of land and six hundred pounds, to erect a Catholic Chapel, at Dungarvon. Felix faustumque sit, tam donanti quam accipienti !

vening of a public meeting in this city, in order to devise measures for endeavouring to avert the consequences that must result from its continuance, &c. &c., I hope that your presence and influence will not be wanting on this occasion to aid in devising and promoting such measures as shall be deemed most effectual towards rescuing the country from its present alarming condition, and for rendering its resources available towards the improvement of the great body of the people, and the prosperity of the empire at large."-Such was the alarming condition of Ireland on the 17th of January, yet on the 29th it was wholly unknown to his Majesty's ministers. For it is not to be supposed that such a state of things should be known to exist, and yet no notice be taken of it in the speech from the throne. As if foreboding inefficacy to their prayers, instead of applying to parliament for assistance in their distress, and appealing to the wisdom and good feeling of the legislature, they seem to throw themselves in despair upon the charity of individuals! Parliament has devised one scheme of emigration after another has expended thousands in charter-school grants, and thousands in the draining of bogs; but misery still reigns predominant, and threatens, as it would appear, the very existence of the country. But parliament is to do no more: the efforts of individuals are to supply those of the great council of the nation. The administration

of public affairs is to be a sinecure in regard to Ireland. She is to be abandoned in her greatest need to the frantic reign of Bible Societies, of reformation crusaders, and perjured conspirators. She is to be given over to a malevolent faction, which "like a raging lion, goeth about seeking whom it may devour;" which not only preys, but gorges upon it's victims; a faction against which innocence is no protection, and a verdict of not guilty is no acquittal: and to brighten her prospects for the future, her avowed and determined enemies are placed at the head of the Government in England! Good God! when will the folly of our rulers cease? They drive the people into misery by a long continued system of mal-administration, and then insult and mock them in their afflictions by the most obstinate and contemptuous silence. It is both sending them the sword, and giving them the arm to wield it! (9) Till the Catholic peasant be taught to regard the law as his protector, by finding himself on an equality with his Protestant neighbour-till all cause of irritation be removed, and the spirit of bigotry be laid, by rescinding all penal distinctions-no permanent tranquillity can be expected; and till tran

(9) When Scanderberg sent his sword to Mahomet II. at the request of that monarch, Mahomet returned it, saying, that though he had sent him his scymetar, he had not sent him the arm that wielded it.

quillity be established on a solid basis, to invite the investment of capital for the employment of the people, Ireland will be poor, and wretched, and miserable. It is a well known fact, that, during the discussions upon the Catholic claims, in 1825, very large sums of money were only waiting for the security which the final settlement of that great question would afford, to be immediately embarked for Ireland. It has probably been lent to Mexico, and been lost; for in the present situation of things, our surplus capital finds a readier channel for investment in the remotest corners of the world, and upon the most shallow security, than in calling into action the fertile but latent resources of our own immediate provinces. Those yearly droves of ragged and hungry Irish peasants-a faint portrait of the still greater misery they leave behind -who traverse the country in search of a precarious subsistence, ought to speak more feelingly to the minds of Englishmen than they do. In wretchedness they outvie those "Papists of the East," the very Greeks themselves, without being equally fortunate in attracting the compassion or goodwill of the nation. The Greek dies nobly in the field, and his death is sweetened with the compassionate regard of the whole civilized world—while the victim of English bigotry, pines out a miserable existence, or sinks under the slow but deadly poison of disease and famine,

with scarcely a heart to lament him." If we steel ourselves to every sentiment of compassion for the sufferings of Ireland, as they regard herself, let our own interests, at least, excite us to reflect upon the consequences to us. In proportion as Ireland is poor, so will England be the victim of that poverty. Hitherto the voice of Ireland has been heard only in the distance; she now comes in person to tell us of her afflictions; she sends forth her people like swarms of locusts upon the land, to devour and to make sterile: wherever she bends her course, famine and misery are attendants in her train; the original proprietors are dispossessed, or sink to the same level of wretchedness with the miserable intruders. Such has frequently been the result, to a greater or a less extent, in all those districts which have been more immediately the rendezvous of the Irish emigrants; the poor rates having, in many instances, absolutely exceeded the whole rental of the property on which they were levied. Though the consequences to other parts

(r) It is not intended to depreciate the generosity of, perhaps, a large portion of the people of England, in the succour they have so often given to arrest the ravages of famine amongst the poor of Ireland. The hand of individual charity has been bountiful, and has met with a proportionate return of gratitude. But, as a nation, we perpetuate those scenes of misery by blinding ourselves to their causes, and while we apply the balsam with one hand, we open the wound again with the other.