The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-04-16 00:00:00

impossible to recollea the threat which was n a to the House on afirmer occesinn, with bee; noes , , -ing the strongest teeth gs of disapprebetion a e ver regret that some itislependent • Ihe y m i se r of-t.heHeose did n •t then rise in his place, „ i ppon ,t,e priv il eges of P ar li ament . unti l t h e l ui r e e t that threat and its immediate invasion of des pr i v loges were fully disc losed If such a me. e: * . e e shi.util he •suffered by the House in pass unno• e k ed, Pols the Constitution of the country was a A b....raet theory ; but he telt too great a confi- J es se in the Constitutional Jealousy of the Reuse. o oast that it would r e m nns t r i t: with ener gy i , :10It this unju stifiebie menace. 'e JOHN NLW PORT rose and spoke to the y e ettiviag effea t It was my intention, Mrs b r akes, to have immediately replied to t .e ohsers „eons n 1 the Hen. Getelemen who .to. ke last ;; e : one. I felt anxious to hisce cons tented on • inie stetenvinis which fell from him, with a view answering those charges which he sit impted to e.enuete against the late ;ideates of the Clown. It i t on those chatges I shall be able to do what I ..k I will, then do I trust for his vote, then cio I upon him to support those very measures, the e nosed nen-performance of which he has, this t., be the causes of ohjeflien to the I.oe .neostration. Certain that I will be able fully loser/ince him on these points,l now feel it my duty to call him bock to that opinion, which, to my know. Is 'e, he entertained within the lest month, with respect to the natioita"l 'deices perlormel by the L ee Servants of the Crown, and to the probable an si prarnical benefits whisk would result from their A iostistration. How this transformation in his al s has taken place, lamat a loss to ascertain ; ha it i be only It:meted on the allegatimis wi.ich lie has this night advanced, I can feel no difficuliy in toMging the Hoe. aientle:nan back to his former sc son.eers. He lies told the House, that he did ex pert, from the late Administration, on their coming e .eirer, an immediate Attention to the diffusion e ete 'dun amongst the pepulation of Ireland. He z ee .d, that it would be difficult for them to prove thai any en icavour was made t.. support the con dition • f the people of Ireland, by as amelioration el the s t orm of mental improvement. In answer, I call ape a him to look to the Statute ink, to refer to that • '1 the Legislature wisich constituted a njgb for the express purpose of inquiring J completely silting the gross misapplication • ose fee ds, which were particularly set vale t specifitelty intended, for supporting a system letional education. An Aft, the trainers of stitch were anxious to make ;1.. comprehensive as o :•eb'e, and which emirates every information, hwever discordant. co other questions of po ley, the source from which it fl ,wed. Tne Commissionsts appointed under to it At pro seetel to rt.eir inquity ; lilt MAI/IWO has a!rtadv followed, and at this moment the Commis ci n is aftually silting. How therefore will the ;Noe. receive the allegattons of that Hon. Gentle teal when on a subjea with which it was his duty to b, acquainted. he is afluelly uninformed ? How, I ask, ran the House repose confidence in the louse and undefined charges which he has this nig ht been plenssd to make, when of an Aft of the Legisla. to paired about a year ago, he is perteelly igno rant of the origin or operation ? When the late Administration direaed their :sedition to an ame. Ii sretinn of the system of education in Irelanti • the art of necessity was to inquire into ..he state et three funds, which had been intended for that purpose, and ,which were grossiy mis applied. This charge of gross misapplication, I state not either without suffieient grounds of justeication, nor with any inclination to avoid the responeeility of my statement. I speak it in the face of the Ntible Lord (Cesdereegh) opposite. I charge him with having known and suffered those funds, which were intended for Inc , upport of a system of tailored education. to have heel 4rossly ane uejestitiateiy perverted for peeresses Of pervinel aegrandisement, and for the furtherance of the most criminal views. ( Hear ! bear ! /sear !) Ti.e Report of the Commissioners proves it ; Lei the 'evils of the misapplication are lement• slily felt in the decline and degradation of those Establishments, for whose uscs these funds were originally appropriated. Mr. Speaker, I can appreciate the nature and temporary subtle,' of that power which can fix its basis upon religious distinaion. I can clearly ascertain the strength of that support which originates wite deludon, and is ptopagateJ by bigotry ; winch ap peals tieall the bad, the b ise • and malignant feelings of the human heart. In estimating, I say, the nas sure of peleical power. so influencing and so operat ing, I can sufficiently comprehend the transient facilities it possesses over a bold and honest policy, which, in a. state where human corruption Is Sib Prevalent, manfully wages war with every thing in the shape of public abuse, and sifts the sources of tuitional through all the recesses of official peculation en.l plunder. (Hear ! her I) When • 11111th, apptopiieted for public charities, were eh owned in Inmate expenditure, when they were cal culated as parts of the family estate, and bequeath ed to the descendeuts as a portion of the patrimonial inheritance, it became dengrrous to mead's svi:h ;hem ; and I do not hesitate to declare my stroiig and Decided convittion, that no small part 01 our eelitical sins arose from our endeavours to correct sbus's, to coavia delinquents. to restore to the public that money of which it bad been shamefully defrauded ; and to make even the highest in rack, tee cost clev.sted in political conneftion, return rinse public funds upon which they had so unjusti fiably and ill.gaily drawn. The next charge to which the Hen. Gentleman adverted, was the in attenition cf the late Ministers to the regulation of ter tyth sin Irelend. I have answered his first at veAtiou Item the Swine Book. I hare now to be ow myself sin the coetidence of the House, when 1 dt Mont them, that one of the first objetis which reedit Late etexage.l the attention of the late Ad ministration, ;nevem. to their dismissal, was an amelioration of the tythe system ; mei I do conjure the present Ministers, if they regard the peace and seessrity of Ireland, and the general safety of the Em. te take the stets ut that syste:n into their imme diate consideration end regard. But great and corn. ter neiog 41 this neee.aity is, I can siefulge no such expectations from men swim besot set up the c:y CS a car wide/ate. They, the advocates of the Chu: c:. On to of whom have left 'westing umlork W ta=tir4•l': • the charatter of teligion in its most vital part, by uniting Parishes, Almost for the length of counties. This, I do assert, was the system of the Lord of •'tc Pt ivy Seal, ileq Lnrd beatetiant of Irelar:cl arl ar Westmoreland); who, during his govern ic.ent, hal raised to the highest station a Prelate who had dared to expnage the mitre from the arms on tits coact. Bin this was not all ; the system wis uvrisec. The hrokm down in for tune, and tile degraded in charafter, were el -..ated to the hig iost dignities in the Church, to the ex clusion of the religious Curate, who had vuir!:ed for years is the vineyard. (lies'! He,r ! fle r!) But need we ask a more co-vinci.ig proof of th disregard of those men for that Chutzh, to which they now, with the purest views, fed so xealouly attached, than to recollen the changes which they eftefted in the various parishes in Ireland ? 1 ern upon the House to rest its opinion upon experience, and to deduce this plain conclusion from that ea perience, that whilst they had power, every other principle was sacrificed to per,onal emolunse: t. I come now, Sir, to that m:asure which I lit Majesty's late Ministers load tlolooght expe dient to propose feu the relief the Catholics of Ile land. This boon, of which so mach has k:en said, and to which such frequent allusions have be-n made, did not comprehend but one forty-second part of the restriftions under which that body of subjefts labour. At the passing of the Union, there were forty-two offices from which Roman Catholics were excluded ; sod that great measure. I do most seriously as.ert, was gaoled under the positive pledge given by c:se Noble Lord "pp .site (Castlereagh), prat to the Catholic Clergy, and next, through them, to the laity, that ewers existing disability would be removed. and the while of those 42 offices should be imtneeirely opened to the Catholic subjefts of Ireland. (Hear! hear !) And yet these are the men so pledged are+ bound by every pri iciple of honour and coesietency, who have the etLontery to raise this unfound •..1 clamour of the Church in danger, be cause the late Administration had endeavoured to c.pen the Alley and Navy to the Catholic officer. (hear ! bee. ! hear!) It has been observed. that the Noel • Lord (Grenville) was a friend to the great measu a;—so was I ; and my support to it was under the fait& of those sacred engagements which 1 now fad the Noble Lord opposite (Castle reapli) had lever even in contemplation to to fil. I did hope that the situation of Ireland would be committed to the consideration of the British Par liament ; that jot interests would be imparnady consulted, its grievances redressed ; that, as it had surrendered itself to tee proteation of an Imperial Parliament. its affeirs would he considered of Imperial importance. Had I ant been deluded with those hopes, and de :rived by those xpeedstious, I would have sooner suffered my right um to be cut off. than to have widingly surreus feted those rights and ad vantages, which Irelaed, in its independent state. did certainly enjoy. In surrendering that inde pendence, she made a great saC•tfice ; but it is a dif fertmt and an unreasonable position to assume, teat, because I voted for that measure, therefore am I to submit to the vielatien of every engagement, to the infraction of every pledge which accom panied it in its progress, and accelerated its execution. To Ireland, I ray, it ..as a great sacrifice ; and let this country, for a moment, suppose itself in her place. Let it reflect vo whit was given up, and on the manner in whirl) that surrender has been recompenced. I unfertrinately have seen an indisposition in this House to attend to the cnecerns of jr. laid. Be as sured it is a mi-taken policy ; for it is that conk ponent part of the British Empire, wlech will press itself upon Briti,h consideration. It is, I say, that' component part of the British Empire. deprived of whose assistance and support, England would be reduced indeed. At present I will say no more, but revert to those changes which have so lately taken place in the Councils of the Crown. And here 1 cannot refrain from expressing my de cited convi,hion, that more than a common se cret influence has been exerted to work upon the benignant feelings of a most gracious Mo narch. Upon those who have used this uncon stitutional influence, no common risque of re spoesieility devolves. But that principle equally exteeds to the Ministry who have succeeded to power, after the demand of the pledge, as it does to the secret advisers of the Crown. They entered upon a vacancy created by the refusal of their pre deeesior to give an unconstitutional pledge. And to accept office with such a knowledge, fully com mits them to the resporsibility of the measures which led to their accessien. Will they say, they are not really or virtually hound by that pledge ? Will the Noble Lord opposite (Castlereagh). ven ture to state in his place, that he is now at liberty to fain' his repeated promises to the Catholics of Ireland? (Hear! firer!) Could the Noble Duke (Portland) say, he lied not given this, as well as Innumerable pledges to the Irish Catholics? What would the House believe, and what mutt the coun try suppose. when they are int ormed, that that Noble Duke had afivally written two letters to two offic rs high la rank, of the Irish Brigades, wherein he promises this measure for Island ; and assures them. that it was determined to open the whole of the military career to the Roman Catholics. 1 has we tee promises made only to be broken ; and. when we c ill upon the Government to fulfil its engagements with the People. we are answered with calumny, and assailed with intolerant virulence. But again I repeat. that it those pledges had not been most solemnly made, not all the gold of Ireland, nor the gold of England, nor the Borough Compensation, nor the appointment of Compensation Commissioners, could have prevailed en the Irish people to have surrendered their do mestic Legislature. When, therefore. the Chan cellor of the Exchequer sounds the alarm of church danger, when he sends f nth, amidst the people, apprehensions calculated to excite religious ran ceer and fanatic fury, (near! hear! hear) his associate, should hold his hands. and, fur their own consistency. reps ess him. They are bound tit say, rr We must resign our situations in a Go v. rumen: which is founded on the basis of intoler aece; we must abjure a system which goes to create religious dies. nsion, and fixes its power on dividina and ea irmitg all classes of the people. We will not suffer teuselves to he compromised." This laaguage it is their (W.y to hold. because, how- e'er unable to performs their pledges to the CAthors lies, they ,Isrpild not forward that system, which ties up their own hinds; and which, tinder the pretest of religion, goes At siace to pull down that Eihric which protedts both Church and State." Mr. BANKES said, he never could charge himr . self with the evil consequences which resulted from the Union, as he was, at. that period, a decided enemy to the m. +sore. Even Mr. Pitt himself had left this question r f Catholic restrittions undecided, and he (Mr. Bunk.-9 believed, more rrns'oe from decision now than mover before. respet to : e present M rlinn, lie should oppose its as '" entrench upon the Royal Prerogative. Thee, w many of the late Ministry's was, , e!ticli he certainly approved ; and, on the whole, tie wet'. tree is Admit, CiAt he regretted the causes W:llCh led to their dis missal. But, on the present occasion, he thought, there were periods when the King might exercise Lis individual judgment ; nor could he see any ground for imputing to the present Ministers any I secret advice or management, in procuring their places. Mr. TIERN Y crild not avoid adverting. the list sentence of an KM. M_mher ( Mills), Wiich, indeed, cnoriised the whole of his speech. What, said he, need we mini more than the dil -1 missal But the country and the House had More to mind; they had to inquire into the causes which led to it, and to the consAuences which were likely to folbw. No man more repented the introduCtion of the King's name, but it WAS not the seeking of his Miriade. There was a time, when the Constitution sod the Legislature at. tributed every set of the King to ins advisers; but the doctrine of the dey denies the existence of advisers, and, of course, endeavours to unwar rantably:attach the odium to the Crown. He know the feelings of his Sovereign, and revered them to() fervently, to . believe that which none but hit worst enemies could advance, namely, that the late change was his own personal alt. Was he even to Ise told by any individual, however exalted or re speCtoblit, that there was 0.1 improper influence, he could net believe it, convinced, so help him God, as h: felt, of the 'dark and deep intrigue which had been praaised. With respet to the Catholic Bill, it is said by on- Gentleman, that it was wrong to urge it; by another, that it was worse to with draw it. And *hat course should be pursued 1 It would not pass the Irliiuse, and, therefore, to persevere would be nugatory. For a Minister of use Crown to urge it, with an understanding of the Royal disspprobation, was pregnant with eels sure. Ministers took the course which circumstances jus:ified, by abandoning it, with the reserved right of guarding against misrepresentation or further misunderstanding, by having it in their power to state their opinions, and declare their dirties. By demanding a pledge. the King had nothing to gain. He had at all times the power of dismissal. But by it the secret .o 4 visers had every objee to acquits The wit of man cuald no: have hit on a more des• terous, though a most base expedient, for the a:- complishment of their views. They ii raised, by this pledge, a complete harrier of exclusion, against the respeaability, the talents, the crier:a:ler, 14. 1 ivoight of the coun ry. Ile would not adopt the voiression of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr. C , rning),. '‘ all die tnients," as he was e-intino to complete the number. But :money the limit which was pl iced to the claims of the Catholic, took away from that d-scriptioto that which is one of the greatest cointorrs to the most miserable wretch ; k robbed them of their hopes. ( thar ! hear !) The present Miuisters had ad vetted to their intended system for Ireland ; it was comprised in two words—firmness and conciliation. What was meant by firmness, the country well (new, he hoped no part of it would ever feel its effeCts. By conciliation, he understood, giving and tak ing; but he was at a loss to ascertain that specie. of conciliation, which rook all and gave none (.1 laugh) He could not reconcile the conduit of the N Ade Lord opposite (Castlereagh) with the latter, which in that tioase Mr. Pitt admitted to have received, and only begged not to he blond by the term of the sentence. lhe Noble Lord called on the Catholics to trust to him. Merciful Goa! trust to him (Castle reagh). They were to remain with decency and decorum for his decision; and when they call upon him to fulfil his Jury, they having performed their part of the contrett, he must teU them, it is agreed that your name must never be again mentioned. For six years they have been cajoled, and now they are deceived. It is impossible but ths Ministers must have bound themselves by the pledge. The breach of promise was not written on their countenances. An Hon. Member opposed the Motion, because it went to stultify the present Ministers. That was unnecessary, as they had stultified themselves ; they were, by their own admission, for a long Li ere in possession of that sinecure. (.1 144164 Thir teen months ago, they pool:Oiled their own inca pacity ; but, perhaps, they have diligently ap plied themselves in the interval. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has engaged in Finance. The Foreign Secretary has not since acquired less diffi dence; and the Noble L trd (Castlereagh) would not have hesitated to accept a place. (.1 laugh.) They are all in the same way, except that great and valuable addition, the Duke ot Portland. In fan, the Drama:at Pre ions are the same, but the parts are newly cast. Lord Malgrave, who was formerly Foreign Secretary, is now at the head of the Admiralty; and the Duke of MuaLrose, who was before the sapient President of the Board of Trade, is now transformed into the warlike Master of the Horse. The Honourable Member con cluded by declaring his belief that Ministers did not themselves know who was aftually Minister.-- He gave them credit for more brains than to sup pose they intende d to place the Noble Duke in the front of the battle. ' Perhaps it might be Lord Mel ville; others said, the Marquis of Wellesley. He would net say there could he a be:ter Administra tion substituted; their best tenure of office was the impassibility, under su:h a pledge,' to provide suc cessors.' In fail they were not, in his opinion, an Administration. Mr. MILLS shortly explained. Lord CNS I'LEttEAGH thought it necessary to make some obs•rvations upon the inaccurate and unfounded view is which the Right Hon. Gentle man (Mr. Tierney) had put this question. Every one muss have takers notice of the reproach with vrioch h: commenced his speech, sail every man must regret that the Sovereign's name ems lernuek • iet elif -sag- made aeainst ejm ; cod, wettish was t. • . R is 41 word, tr.. 2 was 1.0 recret Advisee ot Credo upon this s t .ei ►; e el His Majesty hid assured him. - that 1 e had ei ss communication with any one person upon i:, trect the 5 . h of Meech, except fdis sj ety's ewe rivate Secretary. who attended him wi h -Ificitl thew menu. Thr Neste feud (Nowa) fli cling him self that he lied a majority on a or mer night, made an effort to seduce toe Crown to sterrnit to a faftion of that House, end thought ix sheule then have been able to bring:tostrard a motion for the dis missal of His eilseestyht recent Ministers; but it lies since been proved, by the vote if thallpHouse. that the country no longer depends upon them, and that they have forfeited (by the measure they were pursuing) Ms Majesty's cenfi 'nee It was impossible, thereferte they could justify them selves net any grounds for endeavnuring te force and vioeire the chnseience of their King. lie con. sidered it a Regent breach of duty when the Noble Lord took upon him to send summonses to seer of the Cabinet Council, and not to others ; and w; bed to say, no such nesetreinee e'er be'oeit took place; rod he coned led any Cabinet Miliater, guilty ot so gross end sh =clot an efFerce, as highly impeachable. L Erskine, eiernoteh, and E.llehlxwough, were excluded this Council ; and thus the arrogance of seven men forme., ihemselvee into a secret tribunal, and sent a dispatch to His ; ta jetty, as if trem die Council nnanirnonsiy, when they well knew, t see were absent, and thus eleuced Majesty to suppose they hal been unanimous, By the measures proposed to be Idepted by the Ex- Ministers, the Catholics sireuld lave a perp-mal claim upon the country ; but they must submit, when they found the question was no longer to be :agitated. H: w.is always alverse to geentin to !the Roman Catholics any con:cede:l of any political power. Any power given to them was only cre st:tee a monster to destroe the Constitution. The eat :übji' the Noble Lord referred to. was the Veienteers, who, he e intended, were disoi eenised and disgraced ; and concluded by cherging tee late Ministry wets a deieliaion of truly; and althrstreh they could not play noon the conscience of the King. and lost hi. coefidesce, they nevertheless kept their empir e :merits. Lord HO WICK, in a most spirited end animated sneech, of which we cen give but a sketch, thought that terse cempl tints or curve Larae with a peen hefty bad race from the Neele lewd who had jest sit down, who was never , atisfied "Pith len than tvio strings to eis how. He miget charge mm and his friends ercued him wee an inordinate I , ve of officer. His Lo dship then adverted to tee charge of forcing a Governor upon the East India elompeny, of the redueion of the Shipping Interess, krt. Hoes the erbjea of this night's debate, he to..ng;ir ;he I in guage of the Noble Lod (Castlereagh) was the mot indecent and unearliemeetary he had ...ver heard, and nothing was more calculated to breed nsisehizf throughout the countey. Th.: late disturbances in Ireland were cot, as an Hon. Gentleman imagined, uueonneSed with the stibjeft of the present Bill ; the tendency of which was calculated to produce some pod effects, whilst it wis easy of accompliehment, at the saws time that ether mea ere: were in contemelivion. red aftsally under review,of the same beneficial tend is. ey. When Mr. Pitt went out of office, a'ser having proposed a much stronger mea.ure then the late one, his su:cess.'rs wee understnod to b- under his patronage, and yet that new Ministry bed sneuded no alarm (is the present Chancellor of the Exam• quer had done in his address to his Constance.) $ aut, it they had sounded such alerrn. would lie have submitted in silences or, would he not rather, with all toe thunder of his eloquence, hive proved the falsehood and hypocrisy of etch a charge as that of woundieg the Protestant Esteblishmer• of the cono try fhe Right Won. Chancellor of the Exchequer had flattered the people of Northampton (among whom were nosily I )iammers) by stating at his elec. eon. his seal for the Protestant Estaelumment, and that this was the basis on welch the new Mu.ory was founded. it appeared likewise that they fere in a combined league to oppose slily proposal omeler to the late one in favour of the Catholics et Ire. land; but to what did all this arnopt, but to stir up religious jealousies and alarm The Duce of Bedford had aifled both with firmness and mercy, without violating the liberties ot the peo ple eh Ireland; Lord liard.vicke's Administration had been concluded on the same princiele. For Isis own part, he thought that coneessiens to the Catho lics ought to go still farther, although he was sorry to find that there was a spirit in this country which put that measure at a greater Jistaru.e than ever, mad the pledge required Was objedioneble, inas much as it would have caused other measures in contemplatioa to be set aside. An Henenrable Gen leman had referred to what he had stated in the Libby, daring the late division, as to the neces sity et proposing mine farther measures. He con fessed he felt confident of success upon that occa sion, and was not abide disappointed withthe result. Had the late Motion been carried, his intention WAS to bring forward a motion respeahig the advisers of the measures which led to the rrineval of him self and his Colleagues, and to make the advisers of that aft responsible for wiving such As OD the question of an elitism Aeministration, he was not of opinion that the prewar is such a one ; toad although it was improper he him to speak as to the silents of that Adroanstration ot which he was an unworthy member, yet lie shreds' he, at all times, ready to defend the coreleta of that Aerninise tretion against whatever charges might be brought forward. No one of the bete Ministsy had had the presumption to say, that all the talents of the country were engaged in it, although he must be free to express his opinion, that s beget Administra tion had not been foam one better suited to all the pot:Lice& relations ot the country. ev . ith respite! to the King's Prerogative in choosir.g his elihistets, be considered the House as !wring a tight to ex. erns its tenements. and this he put in a variety of sarong cases, that might, by way of sup l eisitee, ae tualy o:cur. If the aft or the &messes of tee lets blintsters preceded upon uncensti•utional roved", and the present :Ministers were hound to ee the ad visers of that measure, then he C 3 :Clelhi that toe latter were lot esteded to the coraideeze of that Howse; and when he saw men at their very entrance into orfice, for political purposes , exciting