The Marquis WELLESLEY has been appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Lord
ANGLESEA retires,—it is said, on account of his bad state of health, which renders a residence in a warm cli- Mate necessary for him.
The Marquis WELLESLEY is now seventy-three years of age ; and is about to undertake duties which must require for their pro- per fulfilment great mental and bodily energy. Unquestionably, in former times, he possessed both; but we always supposed that he was placed by Earl GREY in the insignificant office of Lord Steward of the Household, because age and infirmities had rendered him incapable of active service. We have no doubt that Ministers feel puzzled to select a person properly quali- ted for the Lord-Lieutenancy. Rank, energy, activity, dis- cretion, and amenity of manner, as well as decidedly Liberal politics, ought to be deemed indispensable qualifications in the man who undertakes it. Some of these qualifications Lord WEL- LESLEY possesses ; but bodily energy he has long outlived ; and therefore we suspect that his stay in Ireland will be brief, and that he is merely sent there to afford time for the Ministers to provide a suitable successor to Lord ANGLESEA.
The Liberal party in Ireland will not be dissatisfied with the spirit, at any rate, which dictated this appointment. In Lord WELLES- LEY'S former administration, he dealt the first home-thrust to the Orangemen ; and had he been seconded instead of thwarted by the vacillating Cabinet at home,—had Mr. LITTLETON instead of Mr. GOULBURN been Irish Secretary,—he would almost certainly have crushed that pestilent faction. As it was, he bore the brunt of the battle, and broke through their lines with such vigour, that they have never since been reformed. We conjecture also, from this measure of sending the Marquis again to Ireland, that Mi- histers have abandoned all hope and intent of conciliating the Irish Orange Opposition. This party is furious under the inflic- tion; from which we conclude, that they are fully persuaded of the determination of Lord WELLESLEY not to rule Ireland as if it contained only half a million of High Churchmen, while the seven millions of Catholics and Dissenters are reckoned of no account.
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