Mr. O'Connell has replied to the Times Commissioner ; who
accused him, as a "middleman," of living by the system which makes the Irish population redundant and destitute. Mr. O'Connell replies, that he has created the town of Cahirciveen ; that he pays rent for the land, taken when there were very few cottages on it-4‘ magalia qucrndam"—all the rest having sprung into existence, with its numerous population, since he took the land ; that he has encouraged schools, nunneries, &c., and has in fact been 4,000/. out of pocket by the place. It is now, out of his charity, quite a thriving place, for Ireland ; "dives opum"— twealth bestowed on it by him, but not returned)—" studiisque asperima bell." This seems to prove, on the whole transaction, that Mr. O'Connell is excessively a middleman. He pays rent on account of the land, pocketing all the rest—the house-rent ; he has enormously encouraged the local redundancy of popula- tion; but the town is so poor that its creator is 4,000/. out of pocket by it, although he retains nearly the entire rent. The Commissioner did not say that Mr. O'Connell was not a good- natured landlord : the reply therefore is no answer. We suspect, however, that it is not so much intentional quibbling, as that Mr. O'Connell's lifelong familiarity with the worst evils of Ireland has blunted his perception of them. He perhaps thinks the "driving" the most injurious part of the system to Ireland!
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