gree to be attributed to the disabilities of the Catholics, must have been evident to every one, who had an opportunity of investigating the condition of Ireland, and of observing the people in their moral as well as in their political character. The Irish squireachy was at that time composed of a body of men, who could not be made to believe that the poor and the rich have similar passions, feelings, affections, and appetites, and that they are just as susceptible of insult, injustice, oppression, and inconvenience as their betters. There are perhaps few of the European nations, the character of the natives of which affords in its analysis, such a mixture of inconsistency and contradiction as the Irish, and although Mr. O'Connell might have been well studied in the political character of his countrymen, yet many instances could be adduced, which he did not exhibit a very profound knowledge of their national one-nor of the means by which its integrity and excellence could be advanced. Immediately considered, the removal of the disabilities under which the Irish people were groaning would not in itself have made any alteration in the condition of the "finest pisantry" in the world: for there were political evils existing, which could only be suppressed by a vigorous and enlightened government, which might be disposed to regard Ireland as an integral part of the British Empire, and not to treat it as a conquered country. The Irish peasant, in his rude and natural state stands low in the scale of civilization, for trifling is the difference between an Irish hovel and an American wigwam; in fact, it would be difficult to convey to an Englishman an exact notion of an Irish hovel, but let it be said, that if the genius of desolation was in search of a residence, she would infallibly fix upon an Irish hovel to be uncomfortable in.

The roof is generally pervious to every shower, and the rain in its progress coming in contact with the rafters, which are encrusted with soot (chimnies not being in fashion) descends on the inmates in a black shower of liquid smuts, which contrast in the most picturesque manner with the brown flea bites on the faces and necks of the family. It is a favourite axiom with the squires

of Ireland that the poor lahour under very trifling inconveniences, but two or three nights passed under the roof of an Irish hovel, would be quite sufficient to bestow upon any one the most correct experience of all the comforts of which the Irish peasant is said to be in the enjoyment. The chances are in the first place, that the tenant pro tempore comes off with a lumbago imparted to him from the damp straw and the extenuated blanket, nor will he derive much satisfaction from the knowledge, which from divers marks on his body will be imparted to him, that the cocks and hens have been roosting over him during the whole of the night. Having, perhaps fallen into some thing like a refreshing repose, it is most likely that he will be suddenly roused by a litter of pigs, who have mistaken him for the sow, and are making the most unmannerly attack on various parts of his body, or should the pigs, peradventure, not find him out, he will perhaps run the most imminent risk of being stifled by the embraces of a calf, whch is in the progress of weaning. An excellent opportunity will also be afforded him of refuting the Irish hypothesis, that a pure vegetable diet is the most nutritious for a labouring man; if he feel an inclination for the blessings of a dysentery, he has only to submit himself for a week to potatos and buttermilk, and the chances are greatly in his favour that he will very soon enjoy the blessing to his heart's content. If salt be added to the potatos, as they are eaten by three-fourths of the Irish peasantry, the blessing will fall upon him two-fold.

These are evils of a national kind, and which require other means for their removal than the abolition of religious disabilities. But it may be asked, how is the extreme populousness of the country to be accounted for, while the people feed on such miserable fare. It may be immediately answered, that the mode of living of a people has little or no connexion with the increase of population. The diet of the Chinese and Hindoos is scanty and vegetable, and yet they are amongst the most prolific people in the world. But it may be asked, are the Irish a healthy and long-lived people, and have they the bottom of the English? We answer decidedly in the negative:

they labour under all the long train of diseases that originate in debility. Of the children that are born to the very poor, comparatively few survive; part of the weak swarm soon perish, and they who escape, are prematurely old at a period, when life, if duly supported, should flourish in the vigour and maturity of its strength, This is a true, but it must be allowed, not very flattering representation, as all are able to vouch, who have visited the cabins, and ministered to the wretchedness of the Irish poor.

At the time when Mr. O'Connell took the helm of the distressed and almost sinking vessel of Ireland's prosperity, he had political obstacles to contend with, which, not even his gigantic powers, great as might be the struggle, could overcome. They were deeply rooted in the political constitution of the country; and, single handed, it was in vain for him to contend against an aristocratical oligarchy, which then ruled over the British senate, the chief supporters of which were oppression, venality, and corruption. The social condition of Ireland was also in a diseased state, for it was difficult to force into the skulls of the Irish squires, certain principles, which had long become obsolete in Ireland, admitting at the same time that in the education of the said squires, two requisites, namely, reading and writing, had been so emtimes strangely neglected. One of the above mentioned principles consists in the knowledge that the landed proprietor belongs, not to a vain expensive wife, who chooses to reside in England, nor to a set of fox hunters at home, nor to an arrogant and fraudulent agent, nor to a pack of parasites and needy relations, nor to a grasping, parliamentary patron, but to his tenantry, whom he is bound to protect, encourage, and cherish, and under no pretext to plunder; or in other words, to exact a rent, which the price of produce does not justify.

Another principle, which was endeavoured to be inculcated upon the Irish squirearchy, was, that encouraging the popula tion of a country like Ireland, where there are few or no manufactures to take off the redundancy, is the sure method of creating distress, turbulence, and dissatisfaction. It might

have been supposed that there was but little connexion between parliamentary influence and the propagation of children; Mr. Pitt never married; Lord Castlereagh had no family, but it is an incontrovertible fact, that the making of freeholders for electioneering purposes contributed at this time considerably to augment the population of Ireland; and it was an engine that was too powerful in its operation for Mr. O'Connell to stop. I want votes, says the landholder, and immediately a large farm was split into a number of forty shilling fragments, on each of which a mud tenement was erected, without windows or chimney, and Pat and Norah were sent in to breed, and armed with the additional privilege of contributing to the purity of election, by a downright subserviency to the will of the landlord, who collected his votes as he did his sheep in pens, and converted their bleatings to his own private purposes. If this only terminated in sending a booby, a parasite, or a demagogue into Parliament, it was clear as the sun at noonday, that little mischief would accrue, as it is very evident that there was a vix mediatrix in that aujust body, sufficient to counteract the blotches and pimples which disfigure its surface, but, unfortunately, this diffusion of the elective franchise, engendered an indefinite swarm of children, many of them were, to be sure, cut off by the extreme hardships they endured in the rearing, but still enough remained to swell the list of unemployed misery, the raw material of the Carders, Threshers, Defenders, &c. &c. who for years disturbed the internal tranquillity of Ireland.

The system of tythes was one which particularly attracted the attention of Mr. O'Connell, but the squire of Ireland could not be taught, or he would not learn, that the impolitic measure of abrogating the tythe of a gistment threw the whole weight of the clergyman's dues upon the shoulders of those least able to bear it. A man might have ten thousand head of black cattle upon an equal number of acres, and provided he never put a plough in the ground, he need not pay one shilling to the parson, while the miserable labourer, who sowed a hand.

ful of oats in his garden, wherewith to regale his family or stir-a-bout occasionally during the winter months, must pay tythes to the parson. Could this be called just dealing?— Certainly not; in fact, no situation could be more invidious than that in which many clergymen were placed by this iniquitous arrangement, and the whole system of their demands became completely inverted. Very often, the very great man in the parish, paid the least proportional tythe; in truth, he might pay what he pleased, for the parson, if he made an enemy of him, by exacting his full right, might lose the support of that authority, which enabled him to force in his income. The rich squire, for the same reason was to be gently treated. this fell heavily on the poorer orders, of course, who would be considered, no doubt by christian clergymen, as graziers forced to contribute their fair share towards the support of the Protestant establishment.

All

It is an indubitable fact, that the misfortunes of Ireland, proceed from the of the higher classes, and it is to be hoped, that these observations may meet the eye of certain Irish noblemen and gentlemen; let them lay their hands upon their hearts, while they read them, and then their consciences will suggest to them, with what term to fill up the blank, which we have purposely left for them to supply. "If their withers are unwrung," tis well; but if remorse should happen to give them a twinge, let us advise them to attend to this faithful, but somewhat unwelcome monitor, and hasten to make atonement, by doing justice to the people, over whom providence has given them the superintendence. They will let their lands at fair rents, and endeavour to instruct, to cherish and to protect the tenantry, and not turn their passions, for the sake of swelling their parliamentary importance, into the means of inundating the land with a swarm of beggars, whom want of occupation makes poor, and want of bread, turbulent, dangerous, and disaffected.

We have purposely given this hasty sketch of the condition of the Irish people, to shew the discordant and heterogeneous