The Sun. — London, England, 1829-02-27 00:00:00

~~~ c , T C -, ~ ,~-:: to which Smuggling was carried. If that was carted, ; it was the c , reatest ofa!t rea. - ons why it should be inquired into.—(Hetr.) - -Tite ilon. llember wishes the petitioners to percnrer.-, atol they would End the laws would be of great benefit. - Ile (General Gaseoyne) would ask, how could me:), Who only cartictl a few shillings ;). week, sur rounded by a -forcing fan:dy, per,evere? Au was con vinced A dMlllikit rte imlnediirv'i to 1.) d. The pa - it'ons were then hircoteat up and read. Sir ROSERT KING said he was entreated to present' a petition from ao. imlicidual named Loughith agair.st the leg,: , ty of return of Daniel O'C)ohnell, Esq. for the County r Clare, and pral'irig he might be heard by Gunned at the Bar of tit): Ilonse. The SPEAKER informed the Hon. Baronet, according to the standing eiders, the pctitiim was toe Lite. , Sir ROBERT KING said he sh•itild have presented it yesterday had there been a House. Some conversation teliowed in a low tone, which it was irnpossild:. to heir in tile gallery, at ;he conclusion, The SPEAKER ini'‘,rmed the Hon. lkhinher that yes t rday would have been one day too lade. The petition wae then withdrawn. Mr. BANKES prwented two petitions against any further concessions to the Roman Catholics. A new Writ was ordered int the elertima nt a Member for Corfe Castle, in the room of Mr. Pesch, who had ac cepted the Chiltern lituich-qclA. Admiral SOTHERON tore,ented fourteen petitions from places in the twenty of Nottingham, against any fur ther concesitiorl. to the flown Catholics. Mr. ESTCO4.7IIT presented a petition from Stafford shire, against the Roman Catholics. He stated that he had always opposed concession, and had seen or heard nothing to induce him to change his opinion. After a few words from Lord MILTON, the petition was ordered to be p►inted. Mr, STCOURT also presented two other /s;4lar pe . tie oni. - Lord DUNt3ANNON presented 24 petitions from the counties of ..ilkenny and Tipperary, praying for unquali fied Emancipation. Also two petitions against the Sub letting Act. Nr. HART DAVIS presented a petition against the Catholics, from the Mayor, Magistrates, Clergy, and Inha bitants of the city of Bristol. He wished to call the at tendon of the House to the number of signatures, as he believed that no petition, which had ever been pre sented from the city of Bristol, had been so respectably and numerously signed. It was signed at a public meeting of the inhabitants in Queen-square, where a statue at King William the Third happened appropriately to be placed. The number of persons was estimated dif ferently, the fullest accounts stating them at upwards of 20,000. It had not only been signed at Bristol, but the neiglibauring village of Clifton. Persons hail been appointe.l to examine the signatures, when it ap peared that the petition had been signed by a great number of Ladies, whose signatures were very ungallantly erased, though they probably formed the . most interesting part of the petition. After that examination the petition contained 58,894 signatures, which was the strongest ma nifestation of the public opinion he had orer witnessed in that city, and he hoped would lime the proper influence on his Majesty's Ministers. Lord MILTON said, that the Hon. Gentleman described the petition as from the city of Bristol, and said that it was signed by 38,894 persons. Were those signatures from Bristol itself? Mr. HART DAVIS observed that he had already stated that the petition was from the city of Bristol, and the pa rishes within ten miles. Mr. BRIGHT said that he could not undertake himself to speak on the subject ; but from a list which had been trans mitted to him, and which be held in his hand, it appeared that 24,712 of the petitioners were residents in Bristol it s elf. Mr. TENNYSON o'lerved that the last census for the city of Bristol rated the inhabitants at 87,000, he would say he believed them to be 90,000. The males were rated at 38,000, including of course the male children, who must be computed at half the number, by which cal culation the petition of the Hon. Member would be found to contain the whole number of males in Bristol, including the children. A counter-petition had been presented bearing 1700 sigaatuees, which number must of conrse be deducted; and, under such circumstances, he conceived that the petition was one which the Hon. Member should have been ashamed to present. He had another objection to make to it, that the word " undersigned" had been erased and the words " Mayor, Magistrates, Clergy," inserted. He would not reject the petition for this, but he stated the fact for the purpose of showing in what way it hail been got tap, and the spirit which influenced its supporters. With regard to the counter-petition, he deprecated the practice which had been pursued to prevent persons from signing it, the Mayer having interfeacd at a public meeting, and dis persed it on the ground that the public peace was endan gered by it. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE did not expect that a petition which came from such a place on such a question would have been received in the manner it had been. He regretted, and was surprised at the observations trede by the Hon. Member opposite, and would assert on his own te,•ponsi bility that a more faithful and honest manifestation of the public opinion had never been brought before that House. He much regretted that latterly petitions had been received in the way they had, by Members on the other aide of the House. It was in direct opposition to the principles which they always had the credit of supporting. It was fit that there should he the same respect paid to petitions o❑ one si-le of the question as on the other. The petition now nn the fleor of the House was entitled to more attention than per haps any that would he presented during the present Session. With respect to the Right Hoe. Secretary of State, he (Sir T. Lethbridge) had had no opportunity of addreeeing the Houle since the Right Hon. Gentleman's conduct had been strongly animadverted upon in that Heusi., and out of *tat House in a most shameful manner—in a manner disgraceful to the British nation, disgraceful to the British Press, and in opposition to the hest feelings of the country. (Hear. )—He was quite sure that the Right Hon. r"•vu tle:rtan had not come to the point at which he had arrived without great deliberation, and that hie purposes were these of honest integrity, deseriing general confidence, and not reprobation.—(Hear.) Sir R. WILSON perfectly agreed with the Hon. Ba ronet, that the petitions of the people ought to he received with the greatest respect ; and he would not himself hesi tate to animadvert on the coedect of any Hon. Friend of hie who might seem disposed to treat them slightingly,— But his objection to the present petition was thit it had been signed by persons who, while themselves exercising the right of petitioning, had prevented others from exer cising the same right in signing the petition which had been presented the other evening by an Hon. Friend of his. That was his objection. Mr. HART DAVIS explained the manner in which the two Bristol petitions had been lying for signatures, the one at the Guildhall, the other at the Exchange ; the mistakes which had occurred by parties signing the wrong petition ; the applications to erase those names ; the refusal ; the subsequent riot, breaking of tables, &c. ; and the proprri tion made by the Mayor to withdraw both petitions ; but we were unable to follow the Hon. Gentlemen through his statement. He admitted that hot for those occur rences the petition in favour of the Catholics might have received a few more signatures, but only a few. Mr. O'NEILL expressed his cordial approbation of the constitutional arguments of the Hon. Baronet, the Member for Sornersetsiaire. Lord JOIN RUSSELL protested against the state ment of the Hon. Baronet, that there was any disposition on his (Lord John Russell's) side of the House, to discou rage the right of petitioning. On the contrary, that right had ever been considered by his side of the House as most sacred, and no men were more disposed tai pay the deepest attention to the wishes of the people of England expressed by petition. But it was not because they to highly valued the right of petitioning, that when efforts were made to produce a factitious expression of opinion, they were called upon to abandon the privilege of critically examining any petition that might he offered to their consideration. It had been stated, and he had not heard any contradiction of the statement, that a certain number of the signatures to the petition just presented from the city of Bristol were the signatures of boys at school, and of boys under ten years of age. [ Sir. H. Davis denied the accuracy of this statement.l He was glad to hear the Hon. Member fur Bristol contra dict the statement. One of the Bristol newspapers certainly contained the names and ages of several boys whe signed the petition. Supposing that to have been actually the case, would not the Hon. Baronet allow that it would fur nish a sufficient ground for inquiry ? For let him see in what way the question stood. There had been no prope eition to Parliament to take away any of the rights of his Majesty's subjects, laity or clergy. On the contrary, the question which the Crown had called upon Parliament to consider was, whether the Roman Catholics could be ad mitted to an equal share of political power, consistently * with the preservation of the rights and privileges of the Protestant faith. On this question all the men of genius and talents in this country had been exercising their abili ties during the last five and twenty years. Was it too much to say, that we should place greater reliance on the opinions of children under 11 or 12 years of age, than on the opinioni of such persons? Were the sentiments of such great men as Pitt, and Burke, and Fox, and Grattan, to h e for a moment compared with the sentiments expressed in a petition got up by artificial means, and signed by many pernia Win MIA 91 Acceslity be x golly hi:tainted with the real merits of the question .P That was his objection; and it did tot in the leaSt apply to the fair and legitimate exercise of the right of petitioning. Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE declared 'that fie was always ready to do ample.instige tai ihNt Imcitives of the N,dde Lord and his Fon. triefitti; out still he must say, that on one or tit,.c 'n'easiorat they had ath meted to cut down tft, - • 'Apression of public opinion when in favour of the. s.de of the question to which they were opposed. It boys under ten years of age had been permittYl to sign the petition presented this evening by tht.ttorr. Member for Bristol, lie perfectly agreed with the Noble Lord, that it was ari Myra rd eCI, incapable of justification. But the Rouse had heard the Hon. Member f o Bristol declare, that he did not know that itaY inch signatures had been permitted. Air. BEIM At expressed his surprise that it should be consitiered that the Catholic Question was a subject fitted fel- the consideration of learned statesmen and philosophers. He believed that the city of Bristol contained many per sons as e“mpetent to jedge the merits of that question as any individual A' s no had a seat in that House. The petitiott had been made the subject of observations which were by no means merited. A criticism had been made on the numbers of the petition, founded on a census made many years a , ,;(l.—(Hear.)—ln all human probability there were many double signatures to the petition, for indivi duals who were zealous, and felt strongly, might, perhaps, have signed twice.—(A laugh. )—The criticisms which had been made on the omission of the word " under signed," were, in his opinion, fit only for an inferior court of common law. Mr. CAVE had received a letter from Bristol, which informed him that the petition had been sent to the county gaol, where the signatures of forty-four malefactors were attached to it. Mr. H. DAVIS said that this was the first lie had heard of the circumstance alluded to by the Hon. Member. Lord MILTON belived that the petition spoke the sen timents of the city of Bristol ; but the members for that city would allow him to remind them of a remark made by a former representative •of Bristol. Mr. Burke said that the people were good judges as to whether the House of Commons were making themselves the tools of the court or the true servants of the people ; but he added, that " with respect to the wisdom of political measures we have a very different criterion to judge by." He believed that the strong feeling which prevailed in Bristol and the west of England against the Catholic claims might be explained by circumstances. He thought the origin of that feeling might be traced to the cruelties practised in that part of the country by the sanguinary instrument of a Catholic tyrant. In the north of England the feeling against the Catholics was not nearly so strong. Mr. BROUGHAM considered that the petition from Bristol fairly represented tie feelings, if not the opinions of the majority of the people of that city ; but be also be lieved, that if any petitions were sent up from Sheffield, Leeds, or other large manufacturing towns, they would be of a different nature. He could not agree with the Hon. Member for Bristol in thinking so tenderly of the signatures of children, and double signatures, because be , considered the former inadequate, and the latter something very like a fraud. Mr. BRIGHT denied having admitted that the signa tures of children were attached to the petition. The petition was ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed. The Marquis of CHANDOS presented petitions against any further concessions being granted to the Catholics from four parishes in Berkshire; from the Corporation of Hammermen in Glasgow; from the parishes of St. Leo nard and St. Peter, in the borough of Wallingford; from the Clergy of the deanery of Lonsdale; from two parishes in Derbyshire; from a parish in the diocess of Bangor; from a parish in Oxfordshire; from the Clergy of the deanery of Windermere; from the Clergy of the deanery of Walsden ; from the Clergy of the deanery of Bucking ham ; from the Clergy of the deanery of Wickham ; and from the Clergy of the deanery of Newport. Mr. C. PALLIIER presented two petitions of a similar nature from Cobham and another place in Snrrey. Mr. IL MAXWELL presented eleven petitions from different places in thecounties of Armagh, Antrim, Leitrim, and Kildare, praying that no further concessions might be granted to the Roman Catholics. Some of these peti tions also prayed that the House would institute an in qviry into the nature and object of the Jesuit establish• ments in Ireland. Mr. MOORE presented a petition from the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, and other Freeholders of, the county and city of Limerick against emancipation. Mr. LLOYD denied that the petition could be consi dered as speaking the sense of the county which be repre sented. The persons who bad signed the petition did not constitute one-third of the Protestant inhabitants ; and in respect to property, they did not form more thansone tenth of the landed proprietors. He was convinced that many 'nary of those who were members of Branswick Clubs would not, in the present posture of affairs, lend themselves for the purpose of defeating an object of con ciliatory adjustment brought forward under the auspices of the Noble Duke at the head of the Government, and the right Hon. Secretary for the Home Department, in both of whom they placed the most unlimited confidence. He could state, from his own knowledge of the opinions of a large number of those who composed the Bruns wick Ciubs, that they had not in the first instance been formed from any feeling of hostility towards their Catholic fellow-subjects, but merely that their union might serve as a measure of what they considered necessary ,lefenre against the dangers of the Catholic Asso ciation. In confirmation of this, he might mention, that when a Noble Lord was solicited to accept the office of President of the. Limerick Brunswick Club, he, with a frankness and straightforward manliness which always cha racterised him, expressly declined being considered as a member of any politic,' club, with a view of resisting the wishes of his Majesty's Government, it they should think it expedient to introduce a measure for the conciliatory ad justment of the question, which he stated he had reason to believe was the intention of the Noble Duke at the head of the Administration. With this reservat;on he consented to join the Brunswick Club, who with cheers accepted him El tl:eir president on those terms. It was then, he consi tiered, very difficult to believe that, after this disclaim,•, of hostility to their Catholic fellow-subjects, they would, after the Catholic Association was extinct, and in defiance of the wishes of their Sovereign, use active hostility to de feat a measure recomnu•nded from the Throne by the una nimous advice of a Cabinet in which they placed unbound ed confidence. As to his own opinions with respect to the contemplated measures, he had no hesitation in Glaring, that no measure or combination of measures that could be devised by the best friend of Ireland, could pro mote the race and prosperity of that country more effec tually than that would ; and he was cenvineed that it was calculated above all other things to consolidate the strength and power of the British empire.—(liesr, hear.) Mr. TRANT had been instruc , ed to support the prayer of the petition ; and as the lion. Member for Limerick had alluded to a supposed alteration of opinions, in conse quence of the measure about to be introduced into Parlia ment, be might be allowed to state, that since the an nouncement of the intention to introduce that measure, he had received a letter from the secretary to the Limerick Brunswick Club, requesting him to support the prayer of this petition to the best of his abilities. Mr. LLOYD explained. Mr. MOORE could also state that he had received a letter from the secretary to this club, since the club had become acquainted with the intentions of Government, in which they expressed the same sentiments as before ; or if there was any change, it was that those feelings had be• come Stronger. The petition was brought up and read, and after a few words from Mr. HUME was ordered to be printed. Mr. MOORE presented similar petitions from a large number of the inhabitants of Drogheda ; from the Mayor, Sheriff, and Corporation of that town; and also from some person in Armagh, whose name did not reach us. Ordered to be printed. Mr. MOORE also presented a petition from Sir Charles Waller, Bait., setting forth that the intended measure of emancipation was not at all likely to have the effect cf ameliorating the condition of the poor of Ireland. He therefore prayed that the Howe would direct its attention to the condition of the Irish poor, with a view to its im provement, rather than to waste its time on measures which related only to the ambition of the Roman Catholic ari.tocracy, to the neglect of the poor who were the real sufferers. Ordered to he printed. Mr. WELLS had two petitions to pr. sent. They were from Maidstone—one from the Minister and Congregation of Providence Chapel, and the other from the Protestant inhabitants of Kingstown, in Maidstone. The signatures to the petitions from the town of Maidstone were nume rous, and most respectably signed, and were procured by going from house to house. He read the petition, and said he concurred most heartily with the sentiments the peti tioners expressed. It was brought forward in consequence of the petitioners being alarmed by the desertion of those they considered as guardians of the Protestant interest. They therefore prayed that Parliament would not grant further concession to the Roman Catholics, especially to admit them into that House. Sixty Roman Catholic Mem bers might govern the House of Commons. He should maintain his opinion,. and support it by his vote, though it wad to be Witd fAcuous i bade, or infamous. Thie l he thoUght was more the language of thtl-liouse O. Stuart than the House of Brunswick.—The petitions Were ordered t) be printed. Sir W. POLLEN presented petitions from the inhabit ants of Illonkstown and Arnport, and another place in Southampton, against the Catholic claims. 1. , 111 MILTON presented a p•tition in favour of these el ina.= from the Unitarians of Barton-street Chapel, in Gloucester. . . The Noble Lord presented a similar petition from the town 'Of HalifaX, in Yolkshire, signed by 9,000 persons. —Ordered to lie printed. Mr. TRANT presen-ed a petition against concession from the parish of Wetherset, in Suffolk, which the Hon. Member observed was signed by all the inhabitants of the parish except two.—(A laugh.)—To be printed. Sir J. LOWTHER presented a similar petition from Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale.—To be printed. Mr. BASTARD presented similar petitions from Kings idge, from the clergy of the archdeaconry of Exeter, from the clergy of the arehtleaconry of Totness, and from Ilfracombe and two other places in D e vonshire.—To he printed. Col. PEEL presented similar petitions from the Vet) , Rev. the Dean, the Chancellor, and Prebendaries of Norwich, from the Archdeacons and Clergy of Norfolk, signed by 236 clergy; and also from East Dercham and Edderston. Mr. HUME—Does this petition include the %%hole of the clergy of the archdeaconry, or only a part ? I know that one of the archdeacons has prevailed upon a large portion of his Rev. brethren to present a petition to Par liament in favour of the Catholic Claims. I only say this, because I am anxious that it should not he supposed that all the clergy of that archdeaconry are opposed to the Ca tholic Claims. The petitions were then laid on the table, and ordered to he printed. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE presented four petitions from the inhabitants of parishes in the county of Somerset. The petitions were brought up, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE presented a petition from the inhabitants of the town of Shepton Mallet, praying, that if there were any repeal of taxes this year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer would turn his attention to the expe diency of repealing some of the assessed taxes, and espe cially the house and window tax. He had also to present a petition from the inhabitants of Bath with the same prayer. He must press upon the Right Host. Gentleman the propriety of granting this boon, if it were possible, to the people of England. The petitions were brought up, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. CATHOLIC CLAIMS. Colonel WILSON then rose—l hold in my hand a peti- tion from the citizens of York resident in the town of Kingston-upon-Hull, praying that no further concessions be granted to the Roman Catholics. I cannot do better than read the words in which the petition is couched : —" The petitioners respectfully pray your Honourable House to resist the attacks oft.the Roman Catholics, and to continue these safeguards by which our venerable Con stitution in Church and State has been so long preserved, which blessings we have inherited from our ancestors, and wish to transmit unimpaired to our posterity." (A laugh.) I concur, Sir, most cordially in the prayer of this peti- . . . tion. lam sorry to differ on any subject from the Go vernment of my Royal Master, but I should act as a traitor to my constituents, I should act also as a traitor to my own conscience, if I did not oppose them on this. When I was first elected a Member - Of Parliament, I made a de claration to the effect that it was my determination to sup port the Government of my Royal Master, without caring who composed it, when it was acting for the welfare of the country, and to oppose it when my conscience told me that it was acting otherwise. Ido not care for Ministers. Ido not mind who they are. The appointment of my Royal Master is enough for Inc. (Cries of Hear, mingled with great laughter.) Whether they are Whigs or Tories it's all one to me. (Laughter.) While they act con scientiously I'll support them. While they act otherwise I'll oppose them. This has been my language always-- this is my language now—l care not I say who the men are—the appointment of my Royal Master is good enough for me. (Bursts of laughter.) Gentlemen may have dif ferent opinions, but I am come here to speak my mind. (Laughter continued.) I am extremely sorry Gentlemen shouldsruile ; but I shall be glad if they have not occasion before long to weep for the consequences of what they are doing. Perhaps they think that I entertain animosity to the Roman Catholics. I declare before God that I bear them no animosity. There are some of them I respect ; but it is inconsistent with common sense, if common sense is to predominate, to let Roman Catholics legislate for a Protestant community.—(hear, hear.)—l like the present Ministers well enough ; but I regret to say that I cannot pull with them on this occasion. I say, that if they at tempt to force this measure down our throats,—(great laughter,)—l am sorry that my Hon. Friends opposite will not hear me. I seldom open my mouth in this House and I should nut have opened it now if I did not think the present to be an occasion on which all Protestants— that is all true Protestants—should speak out. I ask you, Sir, whether, if 1 were silent, entertaining the sentiments which I entertain, I should not be acting as a traitor to my constituents, and also its a traitor to my own con rwience ?—(Tumultuous laughter.)—l am sorry that my Hon. Friends on the other side of the House are uneasy at my remarks; but I regret still more that Ministers should calmly and deliberately ask their Royal Master and mine to yield this measure as a stepping-stone to the scaffold, where he will lose his head.—(A laugh.) —I call on every Protestant, on every true Protestant, to support that sacred bareer (barrier) which was cemented by the blood of our brave ancestors for the protection of our invaluable Constitution in Church and State.—( Hear, and a laugh. )—Can this be forgot, I ask ? Is there one man in this House, with the fear of God before his eyes, who can forget the days of his ancestors who established the sacred &freer? I say that there is no true Protestant in this House who can sit quiet arrl allow it to be pulled down about his ears by Catholic legislators. I trust that the day will not dawn when such ruin shall be accomplished. I trust that the band of Divine Providence will give the noble heart of my Royal Master fortitude to stem the malignant torrent, which is now so likely to swamp the state.—(A laugh. )—I hope that it will open the eyes of his Majesty's advisers, anti cause them to pause a dozen times bet Ore they break down the sacred Intreer cemented by the blood of our brave ancestors.—(A laugh.)—Can that be forgot?—(Con tinued laughter.)—God forbid.—(More laughter. )---I am very sorry that I should disturb the equanimity of the House, and I ought perhaps to apologize to the Chairman for doing so ; but I am a staunch and true Protestant. — (Hear.)—No man has a more rigid regard to the Constitu. tion iii Church and State than I have ; and though I say it, there is not a more loyal subject on the face of the earth. I have every respect, too, for the Roman Catholics ; but if my own father were a Roman Catholic, I would not allow him to come here to legislate fur a Protestant Constitution. —(llear.)—Sir, it can't be, Protestant flesh and biood won't allow it.—(Laughter.)—l hope that the arm of Pro vidence won'tallow it.—(l.aughter continued. )—lhopeihat he will endow the heart of my Royal Mister with fortitude enough to stem the malignant torrent which is likely to swamp the State !—(Laughter. )—There is nn nun in the House who feels inure fur the distress of Ireland titan I do. There is nn nun who will come more cheerfully forward bo relieve that distress ; but I say that the remedy uow pro posed won't do it. If his Majesty's Government trill bring forward any specific measure to a m e liorate the con dition of the poor in Ireland, I shall be proud to support it. I will join in the yoke, and endeavour to ascend the hill with them. As to the remedy now proposed, I say that the cure is worse than the disease.—(llear, hear, and a laugh.)—What does all this conic to ? What does all this mean ?—(Roars of laughter, mingled with cries of hear.)—The meaning is this—that the Catholics will get hold of the temporalities of the Protestant Church—that's the whole thing it means—that is the essence of it, and nothing else. -(Roars of laughter.)—l repeat, that is the essence of it, and I can only refer you, Sir, and every Protestant who hears me, to the speech of the leader of the Irish Parliament on the Wednesday before the meeting of Parliament. Yes, Sir, let me call the at tention of Parliament to the declaration of the great O'Connell, the leader of the Irish Parliament, or what ever else you please to call it. On the Wednesday before the meeting of Parliament he delivered a speech. 1 read it, Sir, arid I read it with dismay.—(A laugh.)—Not that I mean to find fault with O'Connell.—(More No, he acts as I like, for he acts plainly, openly, and man fully. 1 wish to God we had some O'Cnt,,ll's on our side of the House.—(Roars of laughter.)—Yes—h e ' s th e man—he (lees not go about the bush, and about the bush— No, he speaks plump out—he dares you manfully to your face. He tells you, when he passes within that tar, he'll mow down all the temporalities of the Proteatai.t Church. hear.) —What trill the Bishops say to that ? (Laughter.)—l refer the Bishops and all the Priests in the country to this speech, addressed to the Irish Parliament by this leading orator.—(Hear, hear.)— When a Satan has this speech before his eyes, can he fry that he is deceived ? This is plain speaking at any rate. By God, Sir—[slapping the petition with great violence on the bench before him) —by God, Sir, O'Connell is one of the finest fellows I ever met with. (Continu e d roars and shouts of laughter.) He's no assassin. Ile does not skulk behind the curtain to stab you to the heart in the dark. He does not dissemble what he would be at, No-- a, he the man for my money, (laughter continued); for he tell us that he never will rest contented until he has mown down the temporalities of the Protestant church. If we let lern into Parliament, we shall be robbing Peter to pay Paul, with a vengeance. I sty that giving up the rights of the Protestant el.urch to the Catholic church, is nothing less than robbing Peter to pay Paul. (Hear, and a laugh.) IS it likely, I ask, to remedy the distress of the poor of Ireland ? I tell the poor of Ireland that it is net. I tell teem that they are misled and deceived, if they suppose it will. They will find themselves in the same predicament, in the same cottages, in the same hovels, after the Papists, ;lave got all that they want, that they are in at present.— (Hear, hear.)—l trust that the Government,—and I tell it to the Noble Duke who is at the head of my Royal Master's Government,—yes, I trust yet in God, and I hope that I shall not be deceived—(here the Hon. Member paused, on account of the laughter which pervaded the House)—l trust that if the Noble Duke shall persist in his determination to pull down with one hand tie sacred bareer cemented by the blood of our brave ancestors for the protection of the Protestant constitu tion in Church and State, he will determine to establish with the other, (and I think that he has some glimmering i lea of it,) some security for the future preservation of that Constitution. I will not speak positively as to the measure which is to be brought forward, until the curtain is hauled up, and I see the new light which has burst in upon Ministers. As for myself, I must say that I have net got any of the slew li g ht.—(Laughter.)—l shall say little more.—(Hear.)—All I have to say is this one sentence more. The Protestant community is now at last rowst (so the Gallant Officer pronounced the word)—the British lion is growling and grumbling.—(A laugh. )_When he is once rowst, let those who have rowst him beware.— (Mars of langliter.)—l am glad to find that my Hen. Opponents, who call themselves the friends of liberal prin ciples, are obliged to resort to such baseness of opposition as this. I never have hindered them from delivering their sentiments in quiet to the House. Whak right have they to interrupt me?—(Hear.)—lf they think to put me down by their outrageous conduct, they mistake their man. It would ill become me, as the representative of the second city in the kingdom, to allow myself to be crubbed [curbed frenn delivering my sentiments.—(Roars of laughter.)— There is no other question but this on which I shall fly in the face of the Government of my Royal Master's appoint ment. I have been a staunch Protestant all my life. I was born and bred a Protestant. I hope to die a Protest ant ; and therefore on a question so vital to all true Pro testants, I hope my Hon. Opponents will forgive me for honestly and manfully declaring my opinions. lam sorry to say that the great supporter, the main champion of the Protestant cause, has been and now is bewildered. There is no doubt that he has some conscientious feeling.— (Hear, and laughter.)—He allowed that he had, when he separated himself from the late Mr. Canning, a Minister whose loss I deeply regret, though he was against us on the great question. Yes ; Mr. Canning was what I call a treasure to his conntry.—(Roars of laughter.)—Sir, I will not hide my sentiments—l will not go, as some do, !mat ing about the bush, but never entering the bush—l will say without any reserve that Mr. Canning was really what I call a great man,—(Hear, and laughter.)—lt was in consequence of the great Protestant leader deserving that really great man, on account of their difference of opinion on this question, that we placed our confidence in him ; and what astonished us, the Protestants of the country, was, that he, the great Protestant leader but I will not proceed, for he is not here to defend himself, and I wish to act with kindness by him. This, however, I will say, that if the Right Hon. Gentleman had taken and knocked me flat down in the centre of the floor of this House, I should not have been more astonished than I was upon hearing the speech which he delivered on the first night of this session. —(Hear, and laughter.)—That is the homespun fact—(Laughter)—and I care not who likes it ; for I say that the country is now rowst. It was bewildered before; it was thunderstruck at the sudden change in the councils of Government ; lest it is now, thanks to Providence, rowst, and rowst—(Load laughter)—froth one end of it to the other. That table, which will ere long be loaded with petitions, will show you the voice of the people—that table will tell you that the people are now rowst—(loud laughter, in the midst of which an Hon. Member, who sat behind Colonel Wilson, took bold of the skirts of his coat, and as it appeared to us, endeavoured to pull him down. The gallant officer turned round to him and proceeded)—l beg the Hon. Gentleman's pardon, but I must proceed; I am under the necessity of expressing my sentiments, and I cannot conceal them without acting as a traitor to my con stituents and to tny own conscience. I seldom speak in the House; I listen with pleasure to others • and now that I am speaking, I ought not to he interrup ted.—(Loud cries of hear, mingled with laughter, from the opposition benches.)—One sentence more, and I hare done. The great Protestant community expects that at this momentous crisis every representative of the people should do his duty. Whatever may be the conduct of others, I will do mine, without either fee or reward. " Whilst I can handle stick or stone, " I will support the Church and Throne." (Roars of laughter.)—l repeat, Sir, that I will— The SPEAKER put the question, that this petition be now brought up. It was accordingly brought up, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. Sir F. BLAKE presented a petition from the burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed, praying for a repeal of the As sessed Taxes.—Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION. Lord GEORGE BENTINCK presented a petition from the Unitarian Christians of King's Lyan, in Norfolk, in favour of concessions to the Roman Catholics.—Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. Lord CLEMENTS presented a similar petition from tie Roman Catholics of Selbridge, in the county of Kil dare. lie also presented two other petitions from the saine parties, one against the vestry act, and another against the sub-letting act.—They were brought up, laid on the table, and or(lered to Ey... printed. . _ Mr. PALMER presented a petition from 600 inhahi tants of the town of Reading, praying that a o ft r,her con cessions be granted to the Roman Catholics. Mr. MONCK could not but congratulate the friends of religious liberty en the great progress which this question , :ad recently made in the town and vicinity of Reading. This was proved by the paucity of signatures attached to the present petition. As he was now on his legs, be would venture to pay the humble tribute of his applause to his Majesty's Ministers for their determination to make this a Government question. After a few words from Mr. FYSCIIE PALMER, the petition was ordered to be printed. Mr. SLANEY brought in a Bill to amend the laws respectin g the employment of able-bodied labourers.—lt was read a first time, but we could not hear the day fixed for its second reading. On the motion of the same Gentleman, several returns relative to the poor, presented in compliance with an order of tlse House of last Session, were ordered to be printed. Lord LOWTHER postponed till Tuesday se'nnight his notice of motion, for leave to bring in a Bill to conso lidate and amend the various Acts of Parliament which regulate the Woods and Forests, and the Land Revenue Dep irtments. BOGS OF IRELAND. Mr. BROWNLOW said, the condi ion of the suffering population of Ireland was past any de•cririon of his : he would not endeavour to describe that of w licit any de scription must fall short : he would on y desire Hon. Mem bers not to conceive any thing of the condition of the poor in Ireland from what they knew of the con lition of the poor in England. Undoubtedly those members of the lower classes who were bred in this country to labour, Ayala subject to all the inconveniences of a toilsome exist ence : they were not, however, without the necessaries, nor without even som e of the comforts of life. If these by a ny of the accidents of fortune failed them, they had their national charities to which they could apply. But in Ireland it was not so. We are there in a state of society many degrees below the level of the people of England, both in food, in clothing, in raiment, and in all the other circumstances for which a people was appreciated. He believed that in no part of t he wide world was such complicated suffering born with such exemplary patience as in Ireland. The Committee w hi c h had sat on the subject of Emigration, had stated i n their report that millions rose daily in Ireland, without knowing to what object they were to direct their labour during the day. Every year there were vast emigrations of Irish paupers into this country, in duced to come hither by a..prospect of obtaining better wa ges than at home. If employment were not given to Irishmen at home, their appearance here would soon tend to the injury and demoralization of England. It was im possible that there should exist a considerable difference in the rate of wages attainable in two neighbouring countries without a tendency to an approximation. Here the average rate of wages might he taken at 25., while in Ire land it did not exceed 4d. per head. Sooner or later, if matters were allowed to proceed as at present, a most dis astrous level of wages would be adopted, to the ruin of the l a bourer and manufacturer of this country. He called upon all who heard him to use their best exertions to put a stop to the growing evil. The remedy was easy. If they had millions of unemployed men in Ireland, they bad also mil lions of acres of waste ground, capable of profitable culti- Tali:Q. To or fifteen years Ago o coraminion i assisted BURTON, Lord L. GOWER said the House and the country were much indebted to the Hon. Member for Armagh, for bringing forward a subject to which it was impossible to give the most cursory attention without seeing the great advantage that would be derived from accomplishing the object in question, the drainage of the bogs of Ireland. Mr. HUME observed, that ten years had elapsed since the subject was investigated at the public expense, yet no thing was done. After the expence of a survey and com mission, it was now left to an individual to bring the matter before Parliament. Mr. L. FOSTER said, none of the Commissioners ever received any remuneration. Mr. R. GRANT—The great evil of Ireland, as it had been represented by the Hon. Member for Armagh, con sisted in its overpopulousness ; in other words, there were ft _ _ greater number of persons to be employed than there was employment for. Taking the inhabitants to be over crowded in their present space, that would be the first ef fect of a measure such as that proposed by the Hon. Mem ber to relieve the over-population by placing it on the waste parts when reclaimed, and thus both parts of the country, the old and the new lands, would be relieved. But, unless the habits of the people were improved by the introduction of wise alterative measures, the subsequent effect would he that, in both parts, they would ere long fill up to a state of repletion and misery exactly like the present. The great measure now about to he introduced by Ministers, would indeed remove a bar to improvement, and in that view was indispensable; but it must be fol lowed by others before the full benefit of it could be ob tained. Mr. WALLACE feared that as yet the matter was not ripe for legislation. After a few words from Mr•. BRowm.ow - , ►n reply, the motion was agreed to. CATHOLIC ANI) ANTI-CATHOLIC PETITIONS. Mr. O'NEIL, after a few observations respecting Ca tholic and anti Catholic petitions, moved that a weekly return should be made, fin• the use of Members of that House, of the number of petitions presented, whether for or against the Rowan Catholics, naming the places from whence they were sent, and staling the number of signa tures to each petition, and the amount of the population of such places, according to the last census, and that the first list should include all petitions alrealy presented. Mr. HUME seconded the 'notion. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was posed to the motion because it was unusual, and a depar- • ture from general practice, and could nut fail hereafter to he drawn into a precedent on occasions of even perhaps less emergency or interest. After a few words from Mr. TRANT and Mr. O'NEIL, in reply, the motion was by leave withdrawn. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. the House resolved itself into a Conan ittee, in which the Right Hon. Gentleraa•t proposed a resolution, that an Ad dress should be presented to his Majesty, praying that his Majesty would be pleased to issue, from time to time, sums of money to pay the fees due by usage to the Officers of Parliament on the passing• of Turnpike Bills. After a few remarks front Mr. LYTTLETON, who thanked the Right Hon. Gentleman for his improvement of the motion he had submitted last Session, the resolution was it t treed , to, and reported to the House. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Ten o'clock. by able engineers, was appointed, for the purpose of in- OAr ORD .igLECTION. quiring into the nature and extent of the bogs of Ireland, , and the possibility of reclaiming them. The result of their inquiries was, that there were upwards of 3,000,000 OXFORD, FEBRUARY 26. acres of waste lands in that country capable of reclamation The Election for this University took place at a comparative small expense. Owing to the want of a at twelve o'clock this day in the Hall of Convo legal - • remedy to gi t rid of some natural difficulties, these cation. The interest excited in Oxford by this lands remained altogether uncultivated, and not one step hail been taken to reclaim them. He was anxious to ob- contest, so unprecedented in the circumstances tain leave to bring in such a Bill as would remedy some of which have occasioned it, was as great as could • : the evils complained of, by causing the drainage of the have been expected, and the exertions made by. bogs of Ireland. A Court or Commission might ha IT- e i ther party were adequate to the importance of '- ' pointed for this purpose under the authority of the B D.— The members of it should have it in charge to remove those the p rinci p les which were in a considerable de bars or impediments in streams and rivers which pre- grec to be perhaps influenced by the result. every vented effectual drainage, and they should also be autho- horse and post-chaise that could be procured upon . -.. rized to charge with a portion of the expense of such ins - I either of the roads were placed in requisition by provemeuts, the individuals who were to receive benefit one or other of the parties, and at the inns it was from them, according to the advantage which they would derive. He proposed a certain number of gentlemen—say Iby no means•an easy matter to procure a bed. , 20—should constitute a commission, for the purpose of I The town is literally thronged with the influx examining where works of the nature alluded to could he of strangers, brought thither by business or advantageouly undertaken. This commission should pro- I curiosity, and the surmises of the result of the pose such works as might te. considered necessary, and au election are as doubtful as possible. It is con thorize applications for Bills to enforce the improvements. Public sewers were as necessary as public drains and public sidered that it will be a severe and a close contest , 1 roads. Such works as lie had alluded to should net be sus- by those in the interest of Sir Robert Inglis, pended by reason of any private difficulties. He would and by the friends of Mr. Peel. It is said, that have them undertaken by the authority of the commis- it inav be severe, but that the result will certainly sinners. If persons sustained damage in consequence of • - these works, they should be compensated : if, on the con- b e in his favour. ' .. trary, they were benefitted, they must contribute towards At twelve o clock, the hour at which the the cost. The lion. Member concluded by moving "that election was to commence, the door of the leave be given to bring in a Bill for the drainage of bogs Hall of Convocation, was surrounded by a and the improvement of waste lands in Ireland." dense mass of the Doctors, Masters, &c. &c. Mr. LITTLF.TON seconded the motion. Mr. LESLIE FOSTER was one of the Commissioners belonging to the various Colleges, and these, engaged in the survey and inquiry relative to the Irish again had amongst them no inconsiderable. bogs, and fully agreed with the lion. Mover as to the ad- sprinkling of the public. We noticed also Lord . 1 vantage that would be derived from reclaiming them, and Clifton, Lord Apsley, Lord Morpeth, Mr. the certain return that their improvement (if it could be carried into effect) would afford to individual capital.— G. Dawson , and several other noblemen and. The profit had been calculated at not less than from II to gentlemen of consequence,—but the candidates , 15 per cent. The Irish bogs were from 100 to 400 feet themselves are not permitted, during the eke- above the level of the sea, and afforded every facility for tion, to come within six miles of the City.- - - ' drainage; so that the machinery and engineering exertions When the door was thrown open the rush that necessary for draining the English marshes were not neces sary, and a great outlay of capital was not called for. The took place was tremendous ; and it was soon commission which the Hon. Member proposed to appoint discovered that the Hall was not sufficiently large ' would have little to do in the removal of bars, or provid- to hold above half the applicants for admission. ing a free vent for the waters by engineering operations. Th e cons t a bl e s a t the outer doors v a inly exert- —The power that was required to enter every man's eI land, and cut canals, &c., though it was not to be ( themselves to keep out the students. A few borne further, it was entirely unnecessary. He would of the young Oxonians, by a simultaneous state the circumstances that kept the bogs of Ireland in rush, bore down every thing before them, but their present state. The bogs belonged to the proprietors they were still far from attaining their object, of the contiguous estates, the boundaries of which were for they only thus gained admission to • the outer supposed to exist somewhere in the central parts of the Hall, from whence they could only. catch a bogs ; but these imaginary boundaries had never been defined. There would be great difficulty in fixing these glimpse of what was going forward, and could boundaries, and assigning to the proprietors of the fee- hear nothing. simple their proper share of bog. That was the first ob- During the course of the proceedings Which '. stacle to the improvement of the bogs, but it was a tiff;- followed, the interruptions were frequent. Con culty which might be got over. There was another of a " resounded from all.' more serious nature, involving a question, not between the tinned cries of" Poll, poll," proprietors of the fee-simple, but ketween the respective parts of the Htdl, and the heat at length became landlords and their own teeants. E ac h f ar m e r had a right so oppressive, that these cries were at . last to turn a number of cattle into the bog, there to obtain a drowned in still louder cries of " break the win-' dows"—a request ' which was very quickly . scanty pasturage in the summer months, at the risk of being lost. If any of the proprietors of the soil attempted . to reclaim a portion of bog, the tenant's right of pasture complied with. Several squares of glass were: would be set up against him, to prevent him from carrying instantiy broken with umbrellas, which were. : his intention into effect. If, without resorting to ltrge thus put to a purpose the very reverse of that drains and embankments?, they endeavoured to ascertain the for which they were invented---lettin g in the boundaries of estates, and give an allotment of a certain . , portion of bog to-each tenant, in lieu of the right of corn- weather. They were invented to keep mit t h e coon, the principal difficulty would be removed. Having weather, but now they let it in, a circumstance made that division, he would leave it to private adventure in good keeping with the rest of the proceedings. to do the rest. Mr. Peel was elected to keep out the Catholics After a few words from Mr. SLANEY and Mr. WAR- , - - Id — n ow he lets them in—an_ yet even thus per versely applied (if we may use the term) the public in either case reaped the benefit. Considerably before twelve o'clock, which was announced for the opening of the Election, the avenues of, Merton College leading to the door* of the ConvOcation Hall, were crowded with Masters, Doctors, Graduates, and others. At twelve precisely the doors were opened, and the rish was tremendous. So appalling did the danger of obtain-. ing admission appeal', that numbers shrunk hack' in dis may. As the crowd rushed in, Nobles, Commoners, and strangers were mingled in one confused scene . of dense up • roar. In an instant the Convocation Hall was crowded to suffocation, and the cries of " let me out, let me oat again !" were vociferated from hundreds, but escape was utterly impossible. After some degree of order and silence were obtained, the VICE-CitaNCET,LOR declared the object of the meeting in a few Latin sentences in the usual manner and forma lities.—(Cries of " Order, order, and hear, hear.") An officer having read the Act of Parliament, authoris ing the form of election, The VICE-CHANCELLOR then read the writ from the Crown-office, commanding the members of Con vocation to return a proper Member to sit in Parlia ment, in the room of the Right Honourable ROBERT PEEL, who had accepted the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.—(Great uproar, and cries of " Go to the poll ! Go to the poll!") The VICE CHANCELLOR now announced that the Con vocation was ready to receive the nomination of candidates and votes in their support.—(Go to poll! Go to poll' resounded from all parts of the Convocation—great num bers not knowing that a candidate had not yet been pro" poeed.) Dr. Maßsuaar, Warden of Merton College, then rose and proposed Mr. Peel, amidst the loudest and most vale• rnent uproar. In doing so, he said, Sir, I cannot but re gret that the nomination of the Right lion. Mr. Peel should have fallen upon this occasion to the hands of person so unable as I am to bring forward the nomination O f that gentleman in the manner in which it might have been brought forward by many other persons present in this meeting. I feel, Sir, in consequence, very much depressed on the occasion; bnt I shall endeavour to discharge my duty to the utmost of my power , In coming forward now, Sir, I am animated by feelings of private respect for that gentleman ; I am animated also by feelises of sincere attachment to this University, for which if I did not entertain the strongest attachment, I should be the Most unprincipled of men. Animated likewise tun I by a sincere regard and zeal for the Established Church and Constitution of this country.--(lmmenee applause.) If I had stood up and nominated tiff yon a young man, I' might h eve proposed a young man who had adorned all the paths of the Literature of this celebrated Univer sity—who had been endowed with all the honourable principles and feelings of Religions Liberty, which it has always been the object of this University to instruct but I might have felt th it I wanted the best of all possible tests—the test of experience ; but, Sir, I have now to sup port a gentleman, who, for twelve years of most active ex ertion, has been unremitting in his public career, when called to various official situations, where his great powers of mind have been employed ever since—partly for our s• Aves, and partly in the service of his King. and his coon try.--(Very great cheers, and cries of Poll, poll, poll. )—e • • I pass on therefore at once, Sir, to that question, upon which alone I apprehend any thing will be raised by wee of objection to the election of Mr. Peel on the present oc casion-1 mean the question of Catholic Emancipation.--• (Hear, hear, and Poll, poi!, poll.) It does so happen tbat I am, perhaps, the only person of my age, in his Majesty's dotninicns, and holding the situation I do, who h a 's / jot had an opportunity of recording his sentiments of this great question. I conceive it to be a moat important (petition. I find by the law regarding that question as it now stands, on the one side exclusion of many of hie Ma jesty's subjects to those rights and privileges which, if they , are entitled to have, ought to he common to all mankind. (Cries of " No Popery !" Poll, poll, poll.)-1 knows" Sir, that there is a di v id e d C ounc il, a nd that there is s , divided Parliament on this question, which all have to lament. On the other hand I know, a nd am sensible of the restless—the domineering feel ing of the Church of Rome—(Great cries of Hear, hear)—and I FEAR ITS SLAVERY. (Immense cheers sod applause, which lasted for several minutes.) I fear, Sir, the arguments of those who oppose me—(hear, hear)--- btaetuse I state candidly that I wish to have the question fairly brought forward. I wish to state my own opinion upon the subject. (Hear, hear.) The question is asked, why should these number of men have been excluded so long from the privileges which others have enjoyeele hut for the benefit of the community that it should have been so ? Sir, I know that under the Constitution of this country—constituted as it has been for a century and s half, this country has flourished more than ever it did be fore those persons having been thus excluded.—(Great • cries of bear, hear ; and go to poll then ! go to poll then.) —Under these circumstanoes, Sir, I am led to state then that the question appears to me to be one of the greatest difficulty—and I ant induced, in Christian charity, to admit that there are persons who are bound to support both sides of this great and important question. (Dreadful uproar and cries of Poll! poll! which were reiterated along the Members of the Convocation in the outer hall, who did not know what was going forward, but who eagerly caught up any sounds they heard from within.) • Sir, it is not to be deuied that the man which this glut Unim SHERIFFS. The following alterations were made on WedneA day, at the Council at Windsor Castle, in the list or roll of Sheriffs:— HEREFORDSHIRE—MI}Iiam Gordon, of trafficld, Esq. to be Sheriff of the county of Hereford, in the room of Richard Blakemore, of the Leys, Esq. OxenttnsitißE—Neithrop altered to Calthorpe-house. SOUTHAIIrTO24---.Edward Win. Nightingale, Esq. alter ed to William Edward Nightingale, Esq. SABRE)--Felix Ladbroke, Esq. altered to Felix Calvert Ladbroke, Esq. Sussex—Sir Charles Montolieu Burges Lamb, Bart. altered to Sir Charles Montt,lieu Lamb, Bart. WA RWICKSHIRE-James Watt, of Asliton•balk Esq. to be Sheriff of the county of Warwick, in the room of Sa muel Tertius Galton, of the Larches, Aston, near Bir mingham, Esq. BRECONSIIIRF-John Parry Wilkins, of Macstlerwen, Esq. to be Sheriff of the county of Brecon, in the room of Thyme Howe Gwynne, of Llanigon-house, Esq. CA RNA RYONSHIRE Vawdrey, of Plasgvrynant, Esq. to be Sheriff of the county of Carnarvon, in the room of Thomas Lloyd, of Glanwna, Esq. deceased. DENcic lIMIRE-William Lloyd, of Bryniestyn, Esq. altered to William Lloyd, of Bryn Estyn, Esq. Summonses were issued, about the middle of the day yesterday, soon after the arrival of the Duke of Wellington, by dtsire of his Grace, fur the holding a Ca binet Council in the afternoon, at the Foreign Office, Down ing-street. About a quarter before two o'clock the Minis ters assembled at the Foreign Office. Those present were the Duke of Wellington, Earls Bathurst and Aberdeen, Viscount Melville, Loud Ellenborough, Mr. Secretary Peel, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Vesey Fitzgerald, and Mr. Berries. The Ministers remained in deliberation till half-pact four o'clock.