NEWS OF THE WEEK.
The declaration of the Kilrush Guardians might be passed by as Irish swagger, but that it receives formidable confirmation from the official statements of Sir John Burgoyne, head of the Relief Commission, and Mr. Trevelyan, of the Treasury, the offi- cer of that department who has paid special attention to the sub- ject of Ireland and the subsidies. Sir John, seconded by Mr. Trevelyan, declares that certain districts at feast must be aided with further contributions, or the people will starve. It there- fore appears to be placed beyond doubt that Parliament will be called upon to make further supplies for Ireland ; and that the benevolence to be collected in the churches of England and Scot- land tomorrow is only a foretaste. It is perhaps to be accepted as an act of grace on the part of various local bodies, that they have waived their opposition to paying the first small instalment of the advances under the Tem- porary Relief Act, by a rate of three shillings in the pound : it is polite in them not to continue repudiating the obligation while they are asking for more. But, of course, the grand argument which they used against repaying the advances would be much strengthened by the receipt of further advances : for if that al- ready supplied was too much to repay, of course a larger amount would be still more difficult.
Possibly, if England were to recommence a series of advances with the requisite vigour, the Anti-Rent murders, like that of Mr. Roe, would abate. The Magistrates of King's County and the Lord-Lieutenant -are quite agreed on the rational principle that a landlord ought not to be shot for ejecting a tenant who would neither pay rent, nor cultivate his land, nor give it up ; but the Magistrates and the Lord-Lieutenant are quite at issue with the organized Anti-Rent men, who appear to have assumed the functions of the Ribandmen. However, as the object of the Irish labouring classes, so called, is to live, without. labour, and the object of the Irish rate-paying classes, so called, is to have their poor maintained without paying rates andyet without fore- going rents, all difficulties would be solved if England were to renew those subsidies which would purchase food for the Irish tenants and labourers and enable the corn to go in payment of the rent without abatement or charge. There is a rumour that Par- liament is to meet next month—possibly with the humane inten- tion to vote that peace-offering to Ireland ; and as Mr. Roebuck has been set aside, the Liberal Ministers will encounter an ob- jector the less.
