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“"PHIS IS TRUE LIBERTY, WHEN FREEBORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC, MAY SPEAK FREE.”—Evrseres.

Vou. 1.}

CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E. ISLAND, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1847.

[No. 17.

— : o - } SPIRIT OF LUZ SUGAISE Passs. |

{Krom the London Tabiet.] ENGLISH AND IRISH DISTRESS.

The condition of affairs in the home portion of this empire is such as may well make the stoutest heart quake, and must certainly fill with apprehension the minds of the men who are called the Government of the country. Not only Ireland, but England has a fearful winter to look forward to, and the sufferings of both are likely to be doubled by this sad community of woe. Friendship, it is said, doubles our joys and halves our griefs. This is no doubt true with nations as well as with individuals; but ifthe strange relation between England and Ireland may be dignitied with the name of friendship, we seem doomed to furnish a memorable in- stance to which the saying is not applicable. We very

deeply regret that, in this case, the friendship, such as it|large a share in the creation of the present distress, can-

is, between the sister countries, so far from alleviating their respective griefs by joint endurance, will increase the burden of each by increase and accumulation of dis- aster. Each of the ‘friends,’ besides bearing its own share of distress, wili have to groan under an additional

pressure felt in every other trade cannot but re-act upon

ror belong to the second week; and of the 4,242 reduced to short time, 3,497 also belong to the second week :— so that affairs in Manchester seem gallopping to some worse and undiscernible result. Out of Manchester si- milar phenomena are extensively visible, and to add to the gloom there is a portentous whisper of probable out- breaks on the part of the operatives who,with very doubt-

families to one floor; in which there is always abund- ance of poverty, and sometimes a close approximation to famine. These districts—these Irelands—form parts of wealthy parishes, and are included within the same territorial circumscription as the happier regions of Mayfair, Belgravia, Portman-square, Russell-square, Palace-gardens, and others of the like stamp. Each of

ful prospects for the next few months, are thus thrown out of immediate employment. |

The nature of the American cotton crop }is not yet ascertained ; and even if this should be sufficient and the supplies of corn from abroad most abundant, yet the

the cotton market, and present a black prospect both to the manufacturer and the operative. |

The railway market is, of course, in a not less rotten condition. Railways which have had, and have, so

not be unaffected by the disturbance they have produced. Having levied, suddenly and rashly, on all the other trades and callings of life a tax which in the aggregate amounts to the rate of about a million a week all the ial round, and having thus ‘contracted’ the means of every other trade and calling, the capacity to pay so much of

portion, derived from the other’s misery. ‘The commercial crisis under which England is suffer-

ing is becoming more intense every week that passes jall other pecuniary capacities whatever. The shares over our heads, nor does there appear any present | not yet paid up are found very difficult to pay; and the’

this tax as remains unpaid, suffers, of course, along with

these parishes—made up of sufficiently discordant ele- ments—is yet one by law, and one in fact. When its Irish quarter is oppressed with famine,Marylebone bleeds through the pockets of all her palaces. The extremity of the distress furnishes her wealthier Saxon inhabitants with no exemption. Every poor man has an absolute claim to subsistence which he can enforce; this claim must be made good by a rate; this rate the Saxon, whe- ther wealthy or only just above the condition of a pauper must pay. The greatness of the distress, as we have said, creates no exemption. The claim must be honour- ed and discharged, and down to the last parochial shil- ling the poor man can be allowed to perish only by accident or by breach of law.

For all practical purposes, therefore, such parishes are one; are really united; are members of one com- munity ; and the individuals who compose them really have their interests indissolubly bound up one with another. If any parish cannof support its own poor; if its means become exhausted and a rate cannot be raised ;

symptom of its cessation. Having indulged itself with ‘shareholders of some of the most important uncompleted there is still the provision of a rate in aid from some a sweep through the commercial world, as if to prove by lines are beginning to inflict on the directors ‘ pressure! neighbouring and more highly favoured district. So experiment how many failures for above half a million it) from without, to compel them to make no further calls, that not merely each parish is united, but all England is would be possible to bring about in a quarter of a year; discontinue works, renounce their Acts of Parliament, united; and in practice, under one form or another, the having performed a terrific dance through every depart- and even to return money in hand. In this matter the whole property of England is made responsible for the ment of commerce with every part of the world—at | country is on the horns of a very unfortunate dilemma. | whole poverty of England.

length the Monster-Crisis makes an inroad into the world |If the railway works continue, if fresh calls are made, England and Ireland, say our Unionists, are one of Banking, and at one blow levels the most powerful and capital is expended to the full amount of what was country. A common legislature enacts laws for them. establishment of the second city of the empire. How|contemplated last spring, the pressure on the money ‘The style of her Majesty recognises the important social far this dire calamity may reach; what may be its direct] market, and all branches of commerce, must also con-|fact. If so, then, we ask, are they united within them- results; what the effect of its example; what panic-|tinue and increase to an indefinite and frightful extent. selves as England is united in itself? When Ireland terrors may spring from its roots, and how many neigh-/If, on the other hand, the railway works are suddenly | jg oppressed with famine so that she is officially recog-

bour-trees of the forest it may tear down in the violence steppes, and bands of railway labourers are thrown out | nised to be ‘unable’ to maintain herself, does England

of its fall, no man can possibly predict. The general

‘of employment, this will make a fearful addition to what-

‘consider herself as a neighbouring parish bound to come

solvency of the great Banks appears to be no adequate ever trouble may be occasioned during the winter by |to the rescue with a rate in aid?

defence against such a wide-spread catastrophe. The Royal Bank of Liverpool is solvent it would seem,but the disastrous complication of the present time render it im- possible for this solvent bank to continue its operations.

Solvent as it is the derangement of its affairs adds another to the enormous stock of difficulties which al- ready benetted round the thousands of merchants, trades- men, and operatives who come directly or indirectly within the sphere of its influence. ‘Monday,’ says the commercial newsmen, ‘was the dreariest market day ever experienced in Manchester, not a single sale hav-

ing been reported’ All through the manufacturing)

districts of Lancashire and Cheshire this ‘ dreariest market day’ will already have produced increased dis- tress, increased difficulty, increased fear—which fear in this sort of disasters is the most fruitful parent of both distress and difficulty.

Nor are the materials at all wanting from which to generate panic-terror. In the course of two weeks during the present month of October the number of ope- ratives working full time in Manchester has been re- duced just one-fourth; from 24,317 on October 5, to 18,516 on October 19; or a reduction of 5,801 hands.

Within the same fortnight the hands working short time have increased from 7,956 to 12,198; and those altogether out of employ have increased, by a less ratio, from 8,736 to 10,341. Thus, within a fortnight, 1,605 hands have been thrown out of employ altogether, and 4,242 have been cut down to short time.

As might be expected, the evil is neither diminishing in intensity, nor is it confined to Manchester. Of the

-5,801 hands reduced from full time, 4,684 have been struck off during the second week of the fortnight; of tthe 1,605 hands thrown altogether out of employ, 1,233

‘unemployed and perhaps not very peaceable cotton)

| operatives.

| All this in England being very much as we have de- ‘scribed it, the condition and prospects of Ireland are leven worse. Our commercial crisis, of course, re-acts ‘upon Ireland just as Ireland’s last year’s famine is a ‘powerful and principal cause of that very crisis. But ‘besides and beyond this the distress in Ireland is very much greater, the prospect of famine much more tangi- ble and certain, the danger of outbreak, almost of insur- rection, much more threatening, and the whole aspect of affairs awful beyond the power of language to describe.

Meanwhile, what is the duty of England, or rather of the Empire, towards Ireland in this crisis? There are two theories on the subject, which, if not equally admis- ‘sible, are at least equally consistent with themselves. ‘The first is, that Great Britain and Ireland being united under one Legislature and by the power of England being made emphatically one country, are to be treated as one country. The other is, that though united under one Legislature, this union is illegal and ought not to be, and that they are really two countries, and ought to have two Legislatures. Which of these two theories is to be put in practice? Oneofthem we should like tosee enforced, and either of them may be enforced without an absurdity. But what shall we say of an at- ‘tempt to enforce the recognition of one theory and of the ‘opposite practice 2 of a deliberate attempt to compel the countries to be one, and yet in time of distress to treat the weaker as if they were two? It would be difficult to characterise such a proceeding in decent language.

Almost every large parish in London has an Ireland, or even many Irelands; blocks of buildings in which poor Irish ‘families are crammed atthe rate of many

We ask not whether she does this now and then out ‘of charity ; what we ask is, whether she recognises this ‘asan imperative duty, and is prepared to act on this principle, whatever may be the amount of the burden, whatever the nature of her own distresses, down to the last shilling of her poverty? Ifshe is, we understand, so far, the meaning of the word Union and United Kingdom. If she is not, then it must be confessed the Union is a farce and a lie.

Look how the case stands at present. The Govern- ment, through two of its gravest officials most competent ‘to speak in the matter, pronounces that Ireland ‘is quite unable to relieve herself” from the distress that still ‘hangs over her, and especially from ‘ the absolute famine’ with which whole districts are threatened. Unquestion- ably, on any theory of union, if Ireland could relieve herself, she must be bound to do so. Her poverty has ‘the first claim upon her own property, and the duty ‘of her property corresponds to this claim. But the pre- sent is officially announced to be a case of total inca- pacity. ‘Absolute famine,’ ‘quite unable to relieve herself’—this is the deliberate official language. This language, too, is used in acknowledgment not merely of Ireland’s need, but of her claims upon England. It is used to enforce the voluntary collection of last Sunday, which the Government has prominently thrust forward as a necessary collection.

And now comes the pinch of the matter. The need being so great, the claim so undeniable, what will the Ministers do if Sunday’s collection prove,as it will prove, wholly inadequate to the crisis ? Whatever its amount ; whether it be given with liberality, as were the collec- tions of last year, or grudgingly, as there seems too much reason too fear,—it is at least sure to be frightfully

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