1826.] Drelicnd in 1826. 579 
way of thosé’ measures of their superiors which tend>to, harmony and 
conciliation! “Representatives of an equally mixed) body in the British 
cabinet, ‘the great state officers are conscious of the impossibility of 
giving wholenessand consistency to their ministerial march, and each 
exerts’ his entire ‘efforts; in smuggling in some particular measure that 
promotes ‘his own objects, and in’ thwarting and ridiculing the measures 
of his ‘adversaries.’ In fact, there are at present two governments and 
two durts; and amidst all the semblance of good understanding among 
the’ different’ members of the administration, the Viceroy and the Secre- 
taty is each surrounded by his own coterze, and moving towards his own 
éiids!’) Tt would be impossible for a stranger to comprehend the language 
of our newspapers; the most violent public and personal vituperation: is 
addresséd'by the exclusively loyal against the representative of royalty ; 
and “none ‘are so constitutional, so obedient, and so in love with. the 
crown; a8'those who are accused of an effort to overturn the government, 
and ‘to Separate the countries. Another painful feature in the anomalous 
condition Of the times, has been an almost universal combination among 
all the different trades to raise the price of labour; so that the same 
moment has exhibited the opposite phenomena of manufacturers dropping 
in the streets for want of food and employment, and an extensive “ turn- 
out.” In°one room sat a committee for averting famine from the unem- 
ployed labourer ; in another sat a committee for abating combination ; 
and, to add to the ridiculous, while thousands were left to break stones 
‘on'the road, for want of a market for the products of their industry, 
schéme after scheme was brought forward to meet the exigencies of the 
time,’ by an’ incréase of an already superabundant expenditure: Every 
parish’ calling together its inhabitants to collect money for the hourly 
increasing poor, has become a little senate in which the wild-goose and 
visionary views ‘are indulged, and patent contrivances of commercial 
oy apa ‘are mooted, with an eloquence commensurate: with the 
prevailing ignorance, ‘and well worthy of a better’ cause. Few, indeed, 
ate’ ‘they who see the close connexion between ‘economical. disorganiza- 
tion ‘aiid’ political ‘misrule; or who, seeing it, dare avow their convic- 
tion}’ that ‘Ireland must’ advance in pauperism, till it is governed. on 
principles of humanity and of justice. Ireland is consequently the head- 
quarters ‘of ‘system. One party is for restoring the prosperity of the 
_ country ‘by education; and promotes the spread of reading and. writing, 
by limiting instruction to the only channel through which the people 
will not receive it—that is, through the bible as a class-book. Another 
party; less numerous, but not less active, seek to improve the peasantr 
by white-washing the outsides of their houses, and planting their window- 
‘stools with honeysuckles and Chinese roses. The saints are driving at 
Yeform througli the’ medium of conversion ; they send crusading mis- 
Sionatiés to “ enlighten ‘the benighted Catholics,” by insulting and 
Yeviling ‘théir creed and its ministers; and they shew no mercy in 
ne for the ‘rents of such “ popish recusants” as will not send their 
‘child 
Danish ‘sorrow and discontent from the nation by opening bazaars for 
ithe ealé of urticlés of charitable industry, in aid of the Tract societies, by 
giving all their patronage and countenance to pauper industry, and 
throwing the’ independent struggling shopkeeper out of bread. Man 
aré the advocates for premiums and protecting duties; for boards of all 
sorts and intentions, where common principle is to waste the public 
4E 2 : 
n'té Protestant teachers. Another set of “ goodies” hope to 
