The National Register. — London, England, 1811-02-24 00:00:00

120 IvIr.;WA4tD rose to Indy& containing parti- Culars concerning the recent transactions in Ireland. He was 'urged to this measure by the objection which the Right Hon. :Gentleman opposite had manifested to give any other commu nications to the House than those already submitted to it. The 'House could not but be aware that the Convention Act was an Act the adoption of which necessity alone could justify. He acknowledged that, upright as the Right Hon. Gentleman's (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) conduct might be upon this and other occasions, he could not place much dependance upon his efforts for the benefit of Irel intl. The step which was taken by Gavel (Intent had not been preceded by any information to the House ; and the paper which had been submitted in justification Douse their measure, contained nothing whatever calculated to de fend the violencelg its operation ; it merely stated that a delega- . tion bxisted in Ireland for two years. The mere fact of the ex istence of a delegation was certainly no justification ; and even if it was true that the delegation was of an - improper na tpre, it should be known that mild measures might to have been adopted before recourse had been had to those of severity. The paper which occasioned the enforcement of the Convention Act contained nothing alarminge the persons to whom it alluded appeared to be anxious to effect the object of their meeting by legal means. .)t was possible that Ministers might be in pos sessiqn of proti k ^s of a aiischievous intention displayed among them, but the House was ignorant of any such circumstance.- - Six weeks had elapsed befoee the paper was noticed by the • Government, before it excited any public feeling. No mention had beer. made °fire-land in the speech of the Regent, with re aped tq its political circumstances, and yet the paper must have been issued at the time of the appointment of the Prince to. the Regeucy. Such a ease indeed Was strange, especially when it was considered how well disposed the Prince had always been to that country. Ireland was, since the Right Hen. Gentle - man's administration more and more a part of the verekness of : this country, and loss of its strength. He conceived it to be most testerial in the present state of Ireland, that the House should thew an interest in. its concerns. He would declare it pis most earneat advice to the Catholics, that they would abstain m all violence, end he woeld not in a greater degree reCem eene..l toleration inch • existing Government, than he would for ' .trance in them. H. then moved' that an humble Addi ; ess oeld b- pre enttd to the Regent,r, to order copies of all such le- • rm I.e n- as had been received respecting the recent tranSec e! sel Ir :and. . • Yu kiXll; : .cordially agreed with the Hon. Gentleman with .• - otect to . fht• adoption of tolerant measures. He however snaierially .idtered front him in many parts of his speech. He represeeted the preset.t system adopted by Ministers relative th - the t'azitot;c.s in the degreetonciliatory; but the speech lit-of tee 7amt. Gentlemen shenldheve been confined, to pointing tae detects of the information before the I louse, instead of Inesecliug out into subjects which certainly were not calculated present di,stoission.. would state the knowlege which asreenreent had upon the present subject. The fact was, that neiSeqtmece Of the circuleeon of a letter' written by the Secretory tb the Catholic MerCeig the Prolatnation •seae issued. !7'.:e..t letter a; leered to he a, violation of the existing laws of Irelend, teteblished for the purpose of preventing iet.preper and illegal assemlilies. The Government of Ireland Lad of tour::; ectt-d with the re:most propriety in proceeding as r k l4st lead done. Ministers were not in po.,set•sion ()Isiah papers wueld enable the House to term a decisive opinion upon the of Lila , ' country'wo - resp .ct tq these transactions, and it oald be censequentlyimFoper to proceed without eunciusive -for neziee:. He mech lent:elle.] that topics concernin g I re l an d • , • 'oee-t ._sways taken up with such a tote and temper a , were in • ci•inion, of mischievous tendeecy, and ended with giving his • :1: tteave to the niutioh. . • • hie. Gr.siTT said, that the sehject before the House was e of tlee te e 'ee material iniportanese Every subject in which .eland was -concerned, - shonid be coesiclered with the most •.`issieated attention, inasmuch asjEngland could not exist, „eedent of -that. cesuntry. Parliament should particularly tee Catholics of Ireland, for that body was a sort of t error to vei:ich tire I tome of Comm Ons was a guardian. A ~ ;ceder attachment 3hoU4,d te showed to them. An assurance of • . - eopott and aulelgencee and if it was not the intention of Mini eeers to glee ail they reettired, the poisibility of distorting the •. mot:re or eiimit4ishing the 'present number Of their rights should be effectually remoucd. ,The communication between 'the ,stn ;e and the .should 'be easy, open, and general; , not •the-sell;e 9f a county,- but the sense of the es...re:atty. 4 , ltiWas Mog'sli‘attg'e that a law 'should be resorted . • which had as origin in falsehoetl, and which owed its • s.eal to spleett—an act „lihich went to tut off all cem- Auication between Parliattient atidi the •Catholies, espe etiaJ.:y since the Union. right of petition should y • 14..); .41:!. ttilkst'and Mott general was • the sense of the Catholics _ not thernselves ? and for' the .piee e pose of ascertaining that sense the means of general-communicee tion should be open. He would acknowledge it his opium, that if a meeting was formed of a lawless nature, measures of prevention should be resorted to. A Nationel Convention in Ireland would be an ill-advised and illegal proceeding; but even if any tendency to such a measure appeared in the conduct of the Catholics, the exercise of the law should be of most mild oper atione-it should be so applied as not to convey a sting with it, and turn its point against them. A monitory corrective should be administered—a parental, instead of an adverse—an amicable, instead of an hostile conduct, should be adopted towards them. but the meeting deserved not the epithet applied to it. It had been described as hostile and lawless. The Right Hon. Gentle man who had used such language, did not, by such soothing and gentle phraseology, display the parental care; and those supe rior good manners, which it was the duty of Ministers always to observe. In 1809 all the Catholic Nobility were appointed a Committee to manage the Catholic Petition. This was a dele gation, and why was it not said that such a meeting was illegal? None of those were ordered to be arrested. Nere was an im mense blunder.-why was, not the Chairrran of that Committee, Lord •Fingal, accused of illegal practices ? Because as in this case it would be a groundless accusation against:the most loyal and the best men in the country. He knew Mr M'Domel, the Chair. man of the Committee, to be a man of unimpeachable character and of excellent understanding. He felt much joy in observing, that the mettle of Irish talent was displayed in the broad day, and disdained to lurk in caverns to brood over conspiracies. The House was now contending against an inveterate and deep rooted calamity. It had degraded its equals, and raised a lasting alarm, which would in every moment of : he difficulties of the country, start up to affright and discomfit it. It had sunk a set of people below their place in society, and nature would not be inactive in her energies to reassume her rights and regain her level. The time would come when many of that body would be voting in that House who were now fighting and dying in the service of England. Mr. PARti ELL supported the motion. General 'Loi.Tt: s opposed the motion, as did Sir HENIT MoNToomety. The CHANceeemt of the E;cuequen lamented that any dis putes like those he had now listened to, should have taken place but it was a sad truth when, that any weition concerning the Catholics of Ireland came to be discussed, it constantly, at a wide sweep, brought in all the arguments of emancipation, ac comp hied with the wonted bitterness of dispute, and remem brance of woe's, which could not be thought on without regret. Much did he condemn that system elf holding forth in argument the degraded condition of Ireland s in her Catholic claim&, when there existed no prospect of bettering her condition by the debates that it could only tend to hold up the rancotir of thwarted views, and stimulate and nourish that natural propensity to outrageous feeling which public questions always excited. To be told of Ireland's distress was a natural emanation from the subj ect, but nto couple it With emancipatio was departing from the business of the House. They had laws which rermi - led tleen to assem ble, and to frame petitions; yet an Hon. Gentleman hadsail, that we are groping among the dark recesses of the Statute Book for obsolete laws to direct against the Catholics ; but the Com mittee did not seem to consider so, and they had an eye on the rigour of the laws. Ile nerved that lenient measures should be adopted; and stated that the. Duke Richmond was instructed to use mild and conciliatory measures; and he was convinced that the Duke would not neglect any thing which might tend to reconcile disputes. His Royal Highness the Regent lamented that the law was obliged to be put in force, and hopes that mild aed accommodating measures will ha used bt the Government of Ireland. Mr. WHITBR ?MI supported the motion. Mr. FULLER did not mean to detain Tianse wiq3 many observations; he did not trouble them very tn er ten ; but hen he did, they all knew be spoke his mind petty freely. He could not bear to hear it said upon a mere Opposition, ehet his Ma jecty's Ministers came into power by sealing a blial of honour not to concede any thing to the Catholics, such an insinuetfon ought riot to he permitted for a moment. It was 'well known that the Gentlemen opposite (the Oppositioh) always wished to retain their power, and when they did retire, they went sneaking out as much as any men in the world. With respect to the question inimedietely before the House, he rememb-Ted that , thirty years ag o, they were sweating and fueling like a steam engine, and asing 66 Would you not grant them arms in your detente ?" They did so, and what wag the consequence l these very arms were turned against themselves In open rebellion —there was something between the two countries .so uncongenial—(A cry of Order ! Order !j—Well let them try the' expedient; be did not care whether they were Catholics e or Chinesc ) or what they were, that now stood in hie-triky: THE NATIONAL REGISTER %, 11 mariner. In what manner I m nntatn g further parti- to he collected if not from •. .