interest, made by the offer "to work for half-price," is able to overcome.-Should we, can we wonder, that they readily become the dupes, the tools of the designing, of the masters in villainy, and that they thus are spreading the enormous evil of insecurity of property very rapidly all over England? This want of security it was that reduced Tyre, Arabia, and Egypt, to the state they now are in; all desolation, all but the splendid pyramids are gone! These only remain, the melancholy monuments of fallen greatness! For without security prosperity cannot continue to bless any nation, however favoured by climate or situation. The way to prevent these sad consequences must be found in the employment of the Irish people reproductively in their own country, where, that, with its vast auxiliaries, they can be set to work on better terms, than in any other country, will not be disputed, and that the food they are accustomed to, is the cheapest in Europe, will be as little so. I am satisfied it will be much less expensive to employ them thus, and far less national loss than the cost which the country is put to in transporting them by hundreds to New South Wales. How much better to prevent crime, by ameliorating their condition in their own country than to leave them until the pressure of bad circumstances drives them to desperate deeds! for when men are irritated by the want of a sufficiency of the first necessaries of life, taught by reason, and they ought not to starve in the midst of plenty, as well as urged by the knawings of hunger, they will not patiently endure: they then burst into criminal acts, for which they are immolated upon every gallows in the country; or they are transported at an expense five-fold greater than it would require to find employment for them.

LETTER VI.

MY LORD,

As I am satisfied Ireland does not labour under natural evils, but that all her people's sufferings spring from bad policy, and bad legislation, I shall proceed to suggest such remedies as appear to me most likely to remove them, which, I confess, I think is fully within the scope of sound government effectually and soon to do.

I have shewn that the Penal laws are the causethe prolific source of evil: therefore, it is, that I believe Emancipation, or the total abolition of those laws, must precede all other measures of relief; first, by so doing, you remove the cause of discontent, and offer a positive assurance to the people, that the policy of Division will no longer be the ruling principle; that, as it would be no longer necessary to divide the people, and their tools, the Orangemen would be no longer wanted, their blood-stained reign would cease, as would also be removed the causes, revenge and retaliation of Captain Rock, and his murdering brigands. Then will security be found in Ireland; and not until then, will party spirit hide its hideous head, and peace with the cornucopia of plenty, scatter her sweet store about the land. Then will morals and virtue guide the actions of man, and be valued accord

ingly; and that religion, which is founded in truth, will appear the most beautiful and the brightest, and of course, will make converts to its doctrines, which may then be discussed dispassionately, without the fervour of religious bigotry, intolerance, and rancorous party spirit.

Of this I am sure, that proselytism, however desirable it may be deemed by some well meaning people, can never proceed in any important degree, until Emancipation has taken place; for while the ministers of religion are placed in a situation politically opposed to the feelings of the people, inimical to their worldly interests, there can be no rational hope entertained, that they will give ear to the most convincing arguments, or the soundest doctrines; therefore, it is, that Emancipation should be the prayer of every clergyman of every creed, if their expressed desire of proselytism be sincere. While one single law of degradation for religion's sake remains on the statute books, so long will there be a foul blot on the character of England. England's honour is stained by that disgraceful breach of the articles of the Treaty of Limerick, which was either a gross violation of national faith, or a glaring instance of national treachery, which you please. Therefore, impartial justice demands of England the repeal of the remnant of that Penal Code, of these partial laws, which are a standing impeachment of the sound judgment of her senators, of the humanity of Englishmen, of the boasted improvement of the age, and of the national character of England, as the professed leading power of the civilized world.

My Lord, the second measure necessary is, the removal of that worse than useless state pageantry; that focus of parties, of intrigue, and wasteful expenditure, -the government of Ireland. Were the enormous expense of the Irish pachalic alone to be considered,

that would be fully sufficient to warrant, in these times of necessary retrenchment, its total abolition, by which a saving of half a million a year would be made; but upon high political grounds, it should be immediately done away with, if the present administration are sincere in their desire of ruling that country on the principles of justice and impartiality, instead of that destructive one of Division. Hitherto, indeed, the Orange oligarchy assumed a right of dictation in all state matters; and really, their astonishment and dismay, when, on a late occasion, their assumed privileges were broken in upon, was laughable; but laughter was speedily changed into pity and contempt, when in their terrible ire, they bawled out that sad howl, of their exclusive loyalty; and in the same breath, spoke of the 100,000, the 200,000 men, armed dictators, that they had in the North. However, I am free to confess, that they might and should have been treated with more policy by the government, which had used them so long and so well, as the vile instruments of Division; for these Hibernian Swiss had at least acted the part of keen hounds, in the long and bloody chase of Papists.

Another strong reason for the abolition of the Irish Government is, that it has all along intercepted the complaints of the people, and prevented them from reaching the throne, without reference being made to the prejudgment of the Irish pacha; and latterly, the composition of its members has been so beautifully chequered: at one time an Orange head, and a liberal secretary, then again a liberal head, (which by the bye, was well nigh broken by an Orange infuriate) and an Orange secretary-underlings counteracting the good intentions of honest men, so that no useful or good measure could possibly emanate from such a malady. No, no! let it be done away with altogether, and let legislation be

enacted for and administered to Ireland, as it is to Scotland. It is bad to depute political power to a distant head under any circumstances; it is sure to be abused-and another thing, it divests the attention, the minds of the people of all regard for the paternal or central government. And, in the case of Ireland, it is absolutely degrading her to the rank of a province, from her station, as an integral part of the British Nation; and now that the only reason which could be offered as at all justifying it, has been done away by steam navigation, namely, her distance from the home government, all difficulty and delay of communication are completely at an end; for, by judicious arrangements, dispatches could be received in London, from the South of Ireland in particular, almost in the time required to convey them to Dublin, and from any part of the island, in nearly the same time as communications from Scotland can be received.

If the present administration will direct their enlightened minds to, and achieve this one object, they will ensure the gratitude of the empire at large on the one side, it will lead to impartialityand on the other, to a vast saving of the burthens of the English and Scotch people, who are taxed at least half a million for this mischievous purpose alone.

The next necessary measure is, to employ the people reproductively. Our attention primarily should be directed to the better cultivation of the land; and every improved mode of agriculture should be adopted, and habitable dwellings should be built for farmers and labourers; to these latter should be added an acre or two of ground, to employ their leisure profitably. The cabins and farm buildings, throughout Ireland, are in a state quite disgraceful to the landholders, who, with great injustice, impose on their tenant the obligation of making all perma