2 MAY 1829, Page 6

WHAT WILL IRELAND DO NOW?

Gtone.—What will Ireland del now? As some of the friends of the Catho-

lics say, or rather as they said, will she now be satisfied, arid give up all ambitous projects ? or, proud of her success, will she not be more turbulent, and more dis- posed to attempt new conquests ? Neither one nor the other, in our opinion ; for though there is little doubt that she is now pacified by means of the relief bill— yet there is also as little, that she will hereafter again be agitated. Does not the Protestant establishment still exist there; and is not that establishment enormous, monstrous, and intolerable ? But it is said church property has the same title as any other property. The tithes, however, though paid by the cultivator, are in fact at the charge of the proprietor ; and if they were suppressed, the value of farms would increase in proportion. Go acid tell these things to a population dying with hunger, and who, in addition to paying for their own priests, are obliged to support those of a persuasion to which they are hostile. Go and announce these things ill villages where liar three rich Protestants 500 poor Catholics have to retain a church, to pay a minister, and to give the tenth part of the fruits of their labour. Whatever may be said to the contrary, common sense teaches that wages are the price of a service, whether they are called by the name of tithe or revenue. When the service ceases, the wages ought to cease, and they should in all cases be pro- portioned to that service. But is this the case in Ireland ? and if it be not so, why should she not be allowed to complain ? As was said in the course of the debates, she will take the seven shillings indlie pound oflared to her, and hold herself at liberty to ask fur the rest at another opportunity. The tithes, then, there can be no doubt, will be the future object for which the Irish will contend ; and the Catho- lics will not be unsupported ; for in the first place all those who were at first discon- tented will join their ranks, and then that party, now small, but. which is increas- ing, who aim at the radical reform of the church and state. Already, whilst in the House of Commons all the orators exhausted themselves with protestations of respect for the established orders of things, an indiscreet but candid voice was heard, that of Mr. Harvey, who said, " I vote for Catholic emancipation because I think it will be the first step towards the abolition of tithes, and the destruction of the Protestant establishment." Though blamed by his friends, Mr. Harvey nevertheless persisted ; and among those who censured him, it is certain that more than one was of his own opinion. We shall, perhaps, one day enter into the question, and show how tithes may be suppressed without profiting the proprietors alone ; but this is not the proper time. Emancipation has only just been awarded, and time must he allowed for the demonstrations of joy and gratitude. The struggle will one day be renewed, feebly at first, but it will afterwards be more animated and more general, and, as we hope, more terrible and decisive. When after the first concessions the Catholics asked for fresh ones, they were called un- grateful, and scarcely a voice was raised in their favour, so that they themselves had hardly any confidence in their strength. By degrees, however, they were listened to, they matte themselves feared, and now behold them victurious. Both the past and the present are a guarantee of the future. Let it not be imagined, however, that we believe these events will take place iminediately. Forty years were required to pass front toleration to liberty ; and perhaps sixty will be neces- sary for the change from liberty to complete equality. Besides, we feel that the question relative to ecclesiastical property is interwoven with the very principle of English possession. It is possible that in order to clear the soil a tempest is inevitahle, and it may be that the branches of the tree tt ill only perish with the tree itself. However this may be, the Duke of Wellington has just rendered an

important service to his country. If he cannot succeed in stopping the progress of human intelligence, in transforming old laws into new eses, in converting secu- lar discontent into satisfaction, in making injustice nava •: to those who sutler from it, he has at least diminished the evil, and creates:. ,!.. ;sagland a greater or

lesser period tranquillity. At least, by delivering her i'roat the burden under which she was bending, he has put the state into such a condition that it may assume whatever attitude it pleases.