The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-23 00:00:00

Diemen's Land had been met in regard to the transport'.
tion of convicts, and which was illustrated still more in the
bill relating to the clergy reserves in Canada, which would
mcct with his (Mr. Daffy's) cordial support. He invited
the house and the government to extend that principle to
Ireland—(hear, hear)—to consult the feelings of the people
of that country, and to base legislation upon their wishes.
(Hear, hear.)
Sir J. YOUNG expressed his regret that the hon. mem-
ber for Warwickshire should have brought forward this
proposition, which could not be attended with any useful
consenuence" and could not fail to increase a religious
• • •
alarm which was felt in England, as well ill Velum. feel:
ings in Ireland. The ground on which this college wad
originally founded was not that of kindness merely to the
Roman catholic priests, but it was on the ground of impe-
rial policy. It was to p these Roman cathclic priests,
who in times past and times present, and who, if hloynooth
were abolished to-morrow, would continue to exercise
great influence in Ireland, being imbued with fo-
reign impressions and ultramontano opinions. What
was done by Sir Robert Peel in 1845 ? lio found
that the endowment originally granted by the Irish parlia-
ment was not sufficient; that the people heal more than
doubled; and that there was a proportionate increase of
priests. And hero be would, on one point, correct the hon.
gentleman, when he said that Meynooth supplied priests
not only to Ireland but to other countries. Ile believed it
scarcely supplied enough for Ireland. But Sir It. Peel
found that the buildings were dilapidated, the supply
of food and bedroom isccomw--- ' •

inadequate.

ana
that in order to make the funds go further
the young men had to lengthen their vacations • and that
they bad to leave the college before their education was
completed. He determined to remedy that state of things,
and he afterwards said that his measure was received with
as much gratitude as he could expect—(laughter)—with as
much gratitude as a statesman could expect. There wero
some natures on whom generosity could make an impres-
sion. But Sir Robert Peel felt that he was doing his duty,
and that if kindly feelings were not awakened in the Ito-
, man catholic/ of Ireland they ought to be awalc-
ened. He (Sir J. Young) believed there were thou-
sands of Roman catholics in Ireland, whose pulses
beat more kindly to this country in consequence
of that increased grant. (Hear, hear, hear.) He was
not prepared to deny or excuse the improper proceedings at
the last election, but let them not be too hasty to condemn.
Look at the circumstances. Great excitement prevailed in

Rngland, and it prevailed with tenfold force in Ireland.
There was • government jut come into office, the
members of which were all supposed to be hostile
to the people. And then there was the affair
at Stockport, in which the Roman catholics were ill-
treated. After all, however, there were from GO to 80 elec-
tions in Ireland, and there were 3,000 priests, and the hon.
gentleman had only adduced some eleven or twelve charges.
If he wished to change the whole body of prints in the land,
the evidence was most inadequate and insufficient. The
hon. gentleman had argued mainly as if this were exclu-
sively protestant money. Now he believed there were
in Ireland three millions and a half or four mil-
lions of catholics, and in England another million,
and they paid probably near ten millions of
taxes ; and did they grudge them so small a
pittance u 30,0001. for the education of the priests they
revered? It was a policy adopted by the sagacious and the
far-seeing, for the honour and advantage of their country.
The hon. gentleman spoke of persecution. Ile could not
send catholics to prison, but he would if ho could. But
would he stop abort with this resolution ? If it were car-
ried, why should not the same principle be carried out ?
Was it to be applied to the Roman catholic chaplains of the
workhouses, and of gaols, and of the different regiments?
This would be the beginning of a retrograde policy ; a policy
which prevailed in Ireland in the last century, and
which be believed was the cause of far the greater part of
the evils which afflicted that country. He would only now
quote an opinion given by the Duke of Wellington, iu the
House of Lords, when be was pressing on that house, in
the last debate, the propriety of increasing the endowment
to Marnooth. He said: "There is a great religious prin-
ciple involved in this measure the principle of abstaining
from persecution. My lords, you are strong. Abstain then
(eons persecuting the weak. It is your duty to give effect
to this principle, and to abstain from even the
appearance of persecution." Those were the words of the
Duke of Wellington on enforcing the increased grant. He
(Sit J. Young) appealed to the House of Commons in the
same spirit. The protestants of this empire were strong,
unbounded in their wealth, irresistible in their energy and
intelligence: let them not forget their own strength, or
stay in their course. It might he that they had
received unworthy provocation, but let them go for-
ward in the consciousness of their own strength,
walking in the glorious light of their own
purefaith, and let them adopt this principle of toleration,
not merely as • profession, not as lip service, but as real and
earnest practice ; let them adopt that principle of toleration,
and let them evince that they were not the advocates of
persecution, by rejecting, as he was sure a large majority of
them would reject, the unworthy and ungracious motion of
the hon. gentleman. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. B. STANHOPE agreed that if they admitted the
principle of supporting Maynooth it ought not to be dons
In a parsimonious spirit. He denied that the promises
which had been made, that the priest would be grateful
if the grant were increased, had been tuffiled.
He wished that the Roman catholics bad carried out the
real meaning of the act of 1795, and had endowed their col-
lege with their own money ; but as the objects of the ori-
ginal grant, namely, to prevent ultramontaue tendencies in
the priesthood, had signally failed, parliament could be
called upon no longer to continue their support to the in-
stitution. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. FAGAN moved that the debate be adjourned till
this day. Agreed to.
PUBLIC HOUSES (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Mr. MACKENZIE obtained leave to bring in a bill for
the better regulation of public-houses in Scotland.
EXPIRING LAWS.
Mr. WILSON nominated the committee on Expiring
Laws, namely—Mr. Wilson, Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. At-
torney-General, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Freshfleld, Mr. Hume,
Mr. Aglionby, Sir John Young, Mr. Fitzroy, Mr. Hayter,
Mr. Peel, and Mr. Cardwell—three to be the quorum.
Agreed to. -