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

he ( .Holland) - • • .M. 04 at least odious to the people of was couragements held out to procure the acquiescence of the Irish people—an encouragement to vrhich the accomplishment of that measure was to be particularly attributed. 'Fne Earl of Ross said, that he felt convinced that there w..s no intention on the part of the Irish Government in enforcing the provisions of the Convention Act, to prevent the Catholics Wont petitioning Parliament. It was to be considered that there was a Deputation of, ten Delegates from every caviar, and some from the principle cities of ..Ireland, about to assemble in Dublin, to the amount of 358 Members, holding as it were ano ther Parliament, and convened to do. we know not what.— (Hear ! from Ministers.)—He asked if Government could go on if such assemblies could be held, no matter for what objects ? He was far from being disposed to think harshly of the Catho• lie body, but the Irish Government must be supported • besides, he was by no means sure that the enforcement of this Act would create amongst the Irish the general. sensation which seemed to be appsehended : it was to be recollected that there was a great difference of opinion in the Assembly of the Delegates.. He did ro-t know whether he might not be permitted to read as past of _his speech, a Report which he held in his hand of the Proceed ings of the Assembly of Delegates on the 2d of February. The proceedings ot that Assembly has hitherto been regularly re :.ted, in the same manner as the debates of either Houses of Fat - nal-nem in this country.. It appeared from that Report, that Mr. Keogh, a gentleman who was well known to possess a con eidurabic portion cif influence in that body, made a motion, that the General Conitnittee, having exceeded the powers with which they had beeh entrusted by the Aggregate Committee, should be abolished. Mr. O'Connell then addressed the Chair and object of iris speech was to shew that such a . question ough Lot to be put by the Chairman. Upon this occasion Lurd Freocii is reported to have Said, in speaking of the Committee You are appointed fur a special purpose, and your com mission is at an end." A division then took place, ayes 13, noes 24. This sheaved, that perhaps these Committees had by no means the confulence of the majority of the Catholics, who might 00, disapprove of this interposition on the part of the Irish Government. He repeated his conviction, that the Go vernment in taking this step had not done it with the intention ofpreventing the Catholics from petitioning. I'll , . Earl of &tem SGRAMSIIIRE trusted that their Lordships would not do so much injustice to the Irish Government, as to eonclude, before they were in possession of the circumstances which may have rendered the measure resorted to necessary, that the measure was in itself unjustifiable. The Earl of Do sou G Jimmie said, he rose to claim on the part of that great portion of the strength of the Empire the Catho lics of Ireland, that mere justice which the Noble Lo rd had asked in behalf of the Irish Government. He adatitted that they should not condemn that act of the Irish Government before they were informed of the grounds upon which it might hereaf ter be attempted to be justified ; but if their Lordships were re quired to suspend their judgment of the Irish Government, he did not know with what consistency they could be called upon to presume the Catholics to be guilty. Lord Rr.DESDALX thought it extraordinary that the Noble 1..0rd (Ross) should have been arraigned for having quoted in favour of his views of the subject the authority of one of great consideration among the Catholics themselves, to prove that the Committee were exceeding their powers. The motion was then put and carried. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT, &c. Lord REDESDALE called the attention of the House to the Bills which he had submitted to their Lordships in the course of the last Session. The first was to enlarge the sum for which persons could be arrested on mesne process—the second was to establish a permanent provision for the relief of insolvent debtors —Lied the third had for its object to provide for the Recovery of Small Debts, upon the constitutional principle of legal practice, namely, the intervention of, a Jury. ['he first had passed that House, but had been sent to the other so late that it could not. be passed there before the prorogation. l'he second had not passed that House; and the third had been merely offered to their consideration. In the hopes that this last would be brought forward in another place, where it might be more convenient that it should commence, he would not at present press it upon the attention of their Lordships. With respect to the Bilrfor the Relief of Insolvent Debtors, he would now submit that to the Holler. He had to a certain extent new modelled it, but iaot very materially. His object was to establish a single officer —to give him a Court—and entrust him with th e administration ot the whole law on that subject. Some might differ with him as to the number ; but the more he considered the subject, the • more he was inclined to prefer a simple judge. He moved the first reading of the Bill to enlarge the sum for which a person could be arrested for debt oY mesas process. -11 ;.‘ , THE NATIONAL REGISTER, to Arrest! and to ••••;•••••• 117 le Relief of 114c14rt TUESDAY, F. 19. No busineu of Importance occurred this day. ' • • WEDNESDAY, FE* W. No business of importance ,occurred. —Adjourned till Friday. 11111••••••••1 ..irrimmonime•grersmponar's anctliialloble_Frienel Moira l • T he-Bills relative * weal:Utak, eland, was one of the main en- I —Adjourned. . FICIDAT, FEB. 22. . After some preliminary business had been disposed 0f,..-the Earl of Lauderdale wished to•be informed whether the lile of France had been taken possession of in the name of his Majesty or not ? The Earl of Liviepoot. said distinctly in the name of • his Majesty. IRELAND. Lord GRENVILLE adverted to the enforcing of the Conyers. tion Act in Ireland, and observed, that as upwards of a.manits had elapsed since the issuing of the circular letter by die Cauiho lic Committee in Dublin, and the ed• u - cing of the Act, be wished to know what correspondence had taken place in the interinui between the Irish Government and the Prince Regent's Mi nisters, and concluded by rnovin,:, that a copy of such curry,- pondence as related thereto should be produced, to which I:ark Liverpool objected. A conversation took Live, in which Lords Lauderdale, Rosslyn, and several other Lords took a part ; after which the motion was rejected. Lord GROSVENOR gave =Ake, that he would move for a Se cret Committee on the subject. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, FIB. 18. • IRELAND.-COWitENTION BILL: Mr. PONSONIT rose to put a question to the Right Honours. ~ale Gentleman opposite, on a subject which he conceived to be at this moment of the most vital import to the British Monar• chy. The subject to whiCh he alluded, was the state of Ireland, and the matter to sv)tieh he wished more immediately to call the attention of thy !Anise , was a paper purporting to be a letter from the, 'aiet Secretary of Ireland to the Sheriff*, and Chief Magistrates of thAt part of the Kingdom,rclative to the Meeting or calling together of the people of that country. T,he question, which he wished to put to the Right Honourable-Gentleman on this subject, was, if before the step alluded to its that letter had been res:oled to, the pleasure of the Prince Regent had been taken on the subject ? and if the documents had been commu nicated to the Prince Regent, which, in the opinion of Ministers, justified them in resorting.to such a step ? Re did not wish to press the business at preo.nt, and should not tow urge it beyond the explanatien he had applied fur. Mr. PeRCEVAL said, he could have no difficulty, nor even the slightest objection to give the answer demanded of him by the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite. The letter alluded to by the Right Honourable Gentleman was :anew to him (Mr. Perceval) on Thursday last, as it cottid have been to the Right Honourable Gentleman on friday. Not only was such a step on the part of the Irish Goveromezt perfectly unknown to burn (Mr. Perceval) and his Colleagues on this side of the weer, but they were, till Thursday last, entirely igno - rant that the lotting referred to in the letter had assumed that character or appear ance to render it necessary to resort to such a step. Mr. W. WA RI) asked. if it was the intention of Ministers to lay before the House any document to sati,fy them of the pro priety of the conduct adopted by the Irish Government in this emergency ? Was I. their intention, fur instance, to submit to the consideration of the House the letter of Mr. W. Pole on thi- subject ? Mr. PERCEVA L. said he could have no objection to any Gen tleman's moving for the production of the letter alluded to, it he thought it material. Mr. WARD gave notice that I - .e should move for the said let ter on Thursday next, IMPEACHMENT OF MINISTERS. • Mr. WIIITIIKEAD stated that he should, on Monday nest, bring forward so much of his motion cf which he had already given notice, as went to a search of the Lords' Journals on the subject of the Examination of the Physicians relative to the State of his Majesty's health. And, on that day he should name an early day for bringing forward the ulterior part of his motion. POPULATION OF GREAT BRITAIN. Mr. Ross obtained leave to bring in a Bill for taking an Ac. count of the Population of Great Britain, and of the increase and tliminv clan &twist Ac