The Earl of Besborough, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, has yielded up
his life in the active prosecution of his duties. From all quarters we hear high praise of his energy and tact ; and if exception is taken to the somewhat indiscriminate use of official munificence which helped him to disarm objection or treachery, it is not denied that in fact his administration, although it hap- pened at the worst of times, proved among the best. Possibly it saved Ireland from adding the horrors of insurrection to those of famine. .
A strong feeling has grown up, even in Ireland itself, that the Viceroyalty is useless, or worse ; and Mr. Hume gave utterance to a very general doubt when he put the suggestive question, whether the vacant office was to be filled up Lord John Russ sell's reply indicated a concurrence in the feeling ; for although he pleads that the present time is bad for making a change, he speaks as if he sheuld be prepared for it at a more propitious season. Lord John Russell, however, is apt to be bold pro- spectively.
The Earl of Clarendon is selected as the new Viceroy. As a statesman he has not fulfilled the expectation that was formed from the repute which he enjoyed previously to the formation of the present Ministry. Not that he has done anything to contra- dict his good name for generous feeling, intelligence, attainments, and business habits ; but ostensibly he has taken no very active part in public business. However, though he has not confirmed, he has not impaired, the good name with which he started on his entrance into high public life at home.
Lord Clarendon assumes the government of Ireland at a time to try strong abilities. The land suffers under dire calamity, coupled with the corruption and helplessness of the people. They seem to have seized upon the famine as an excuse for
revelling in pauperism—an universal beggar's holyday. The charity of Britain is received with unblushing importunity,
and is a prize for which all classes join in scrambling. The _distributors of relief could tell strange stories of the ludi- crous demands made upon them : Mr. Roebuck's taunt, that
the Irish people expect not only to be fed and clothed, but also shaved, is scarcely an exaggeration. This spirit of national mendicancy has received a fearful impulse from the measures taken to prevent death by starving As in countries where the police do not forbid it, cripples extort charity by dis- playing their deformities, so the Irish parade their moral de- formities and infirmities to extort a larger alms. They seek to dictate the form in which the tribute of their beggary shall be rendered ; and mobawre going be to demolish ocam-iitchens and denounce "out-doer relief," beeause the wretched people have some ignorant suqpieion that "relief" will not be so free er pleasant or idle Is " wages " paid for nominal labour on the public works. The overt excesses of this spirit will have to be curbed, at the same time that the insane murderous passions of the people will need soothing ; the influence of the Irish gentry will have to be evoked, at the same time that the corrupt greedi- ness for patronage will have to .be checked. Hard will be the task of Lord Besborough's successor.
