10 MARCH 1849, Page 14

THE IRISH DISEASE.

IF some patriotic Edgeworth could compose an effective "Essay on the Cure of Irish Bulls," perhaps that writer would do more for the country than any one else. It is mainly the confusion of ideas, with the contentment to take ideas in that state of confu- sion, which costa Ireland all her troubles. The Irish have facul- ties and honesty enough to live well and rightly when their ideas are perforce set straight, as they do in our Colonies under sys- tems of which the pattern is set by others; but at home they are ever content to let their ideas remain entangled—they are ever mixing their tools and using the wrong ones. It is this which makes them confound English reverses on the Jhelum with some advantage to themselves ; which makes them seek subsistence from the alms of England, rather than from their own land; which makes them seek salvation in a "domestic Legislature," without any clear conception of the practical and tangible things that such a Legislature would effect.

Their Members in our own Parliament furnish no very bright specimen of clearheadedness. Look at Sir Henry Barron-5 very fair average of the Irish Member. Last week, he had be- fore the House of Commons a bill to abridge the time for which persons accused of criminal offences are detained in prison : it was thrown out on the second reading, because of its gross ab- surdities of structure ; Sir Henry then defended it as the work, not of himself, but of a very eminent barrister, Mr. Berwick. This week, Sir Henry read passages from a counter-statement by Mr. Berwick, to the following effect-

" Having seen my name mentioned in connexion with a bill brought forward by Sir H. W. Barron in the House of Commons, and which it was said that I had suggested and drawn up, I beg to say, that such statements were entirely erro- neous. ("Hear!" and a laugh.) I was never consulted by Sir H. W. Barron; nor had 1 any communication with him on the subject; nor did I suggest and draw up such a bill, much less band it to him." (Cheers and laughter.) Sir Henry Barron continued. He had to state in reply to this, that every word of it was literally true—(Loud laughter)—and be thought that honourable Members would see that what Mr. Berwick stated was perfectly consistent with his (Sir H. W. Barron's) statement in the House. (" Oh, oh!" and laughter.) The medium of communication between him and Mr. Berwick was a solicitor well known in the South of Ireland. Therefore he had no personal communication with Mr. Berwick—nothing could be more true than that he had not. He now came to the next point. Mr. Berwick went on to say—" A friend of Sir H. W. Barron, with whom I am well acquainted, sent me a most voluminous bill on the subject—a bill which appeared to me to be in a very unfinished state. lie told me that he wished me as a friend to look over the bill, as Sir H. W. Barron was to bring the subject forward in the House. I read it through; and, having seen the same gentleman by accident some time afterwards, I told him I thought the measure very objec- tionable, and in some respects ridiculous." (Loud laughter.) Honourable gen- tlemen laughed a little too soon. It was not his (Sir H. W. Barron's) bill. He had never read a word of it. (Continued laughter.)

[Mr. Berwick went on to say that he had no time to remodel the bill, but he drew his pen through half the penal clauses, slightly altered the rest, added a clause, and returned it to his friend; fully expecting that, if introduced into Par- liament at all, it would be remodelled and submitted to the opinion of counsel.]

Now this statement Sir Henry Barron holds to be concurrent with his own, that Mr. Berwick had drawn up the bill! But what a random muddling affair is the whole history of the bill,— drawn up by one man, from an old police act ; cut and carved by another; introduced by Sir Henry, who never read it ; and re- pudiated by everybody ! If Ireland had her "domestic Legis- lature," removed from the unwelcome eye of English criticism, would not all her legislation be apt to partake of this character? Irishmen seem to keep themselves in a state of mind resembling that mild chronic intoxication which is called the "toddled": if they would sober themselves and take ideas separately and distinctly, they might manage to get on even without Repeal or English subsidies.